


Seaside

by Dubnoreix



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Band Fic, F/M, Fluff, Protective Sesshomaru (InuYasha), Some Plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:29:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28388559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dubnoreix/pseuds/Dubnoreix
Summary: [Highschool AU]. After her father dies, Kagome leaves all of her friends and her life of luxury in New York to a tiny town of Seaside, Oregon. Two more years of high school and then she can leave to achieve her dream of becoming a violinist. But what does she do after meeting a certain long-haired misfit that loves music almost more than she does…?
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome & InuYasha, Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

_ Summary _ : [Highschool AU]. After her father dies, Kagome leaves all of her friends and her life of luxury in New York to a tiny town of Seaside, Oregon. Two more years of high school and then she can leave to achieve her dream of becoming a violinist. But what does she do after meeting a certain long-haired misfit that loves music almost more than she does…?

_ Author’s Note _ : This is going to be a long one. I already have nearly ten chapters of this monster under my belt, and there will probably be upwards of thirty or so chapters if I decide to put all of my ideas in here. There will also be a plot...eventually. lol 

_ Chapter 1 _ : Cannon Beach

Kagome Higurashi held fast to her violin case as the car hit another bump in the road.

“Almost there,” reassured her mother, Maemi, for the tenth time that morning. Kagome figured she said it to herself as much as she said it to her kids—after a week on the road, they were exhausted and ready to ignore the car for a month.

In the back seat, Souta groaned as he stretched himself out. “If we have to eat fast food again, I’m gonna throw up.”

Maemi sighed and leaned against the steering wheel. “You and me both. Kagome, sweetie, will you look up to see what sit down restaurants they have in Cannon Beach?”

“Sure thing.” The teen pulled out her cell phone and opened the maps app, which comforted her to know that Cannon Beach was only a half-hour away. After expansive stretches of plains, desert, cities, and every other type of terrain since leaving New York, Kagome knew their journey was done once they saw the sea again. She ached for it.

After a few moments of looking, Kagome said, “There’s a lot of seafood. Who’s up for some fish?”

“Do they have sushi?!” exclaimed Souta, roused by the idea of his favorite food, and latched onto his sister’s chair.

“I think it’s more like fried fish…”

“It’s right on the beach! Why don’t they have sushi?!”

Kagome grumbled, “You can ask when we get there.”

“Souta, this place is going to be different than what we’re used to,” started their mother, who sounded a bit glum herself. “Small towns like this will have limited variety.”

“But they’re next to the ocean...how hard is it to get some seaweed wraps and rice?!” he professed, then flung himself back into the seat again. “I’m doomed to starve.”

“Then starve,” muttered Kagome.

“Dear, let’s not start a fight. We’ve been good for a whole week.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Kagome knew her mother was right. Despite what forced them to move and the move itself, the sixteen-year-old was able to keep herself together mentally. It was merely the length of the journey and the pain in her legs. Not to mention a pain in her neck...and her side, and her back, and her knees. She’d managed for seven days, though, and she could manage a half-hour more.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” she mumbled and squeezed her violin closer.

Her mother shot her an empathic look. “I know you’re tired. You get to start school in a couple of weeks and can make new friends, join new clubs. I get to start my new job, and Souta is heading into middle school. I'll get another vehicle so you can have a car to yourself. There are lots of exciting things in the future.”

"Yeah, that sounds good." Kagome sunk against the passenger door, flicking to her photo app. Her friends, Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri, smiled back at her beneath a large banner that said,  _ Good Luck, Kagome! _ with gold and silver confetti floating down to the slick tiles. The photo was glamorous and her friends beautiful, everything that reflected the posh and sleek style of New York. They gave her a party to remember, which instilled a deep and terrible ache in her gut.  _ Things will never be the same. _

Three years ago, her father had died in a car wreck, leaving his wife and children to adapt. Two months ago, her mother discovered Kagome working at McDonald's, dishing out cheeseburgers for minimum wage after the teenager found threatening letters addressed to her mom. Either Maemi pay massive rent, health care, and other living costs—otherwise, get thrown into the streets. Her and her mother's friends knew about her short stint in the fast food industry and hastily ignored it; the line of respect and pity was so thin, Kagome could break it with her fingers.

Kagome flicked her attention to her mother, who seemed as worried as when they left New York. The young woman reminded herself that not only did she lose all her friends, but her mother did, too; their friends, their way of life, everything they knew.

“The high school should be pretty small,” murmured Kagome to distract her.

A smile flickered over her mom’s mouth. “You know, you’ll probably get popular, being from New York. Watch out for those boys.”

Souta groaned again, but both women knew it wasn’t from hunger.

When Kagome’s map app told them to get off, none of them could hardly believe a town existed there. Immense walls of dense pines and other trees cloaked the environment, with sloping hills crowding the two-lane highway. Even when they got off the main road, the one they merged onto was like they were traversing into a misty jungle.

“Just how small  _ is _ this town, mom?” asked Souta with mounting worry.

“Well, it was pretty small when your father and I visited it almost twenty years ago, but it must’ve grown since then...” she mused, but looked equally concerned.

Within a few minutes, the trees gave way to a thatch of houses and a river where the cars drove slow and people ambled around with large dogs and windbreakers. In New York, people always walked fast and with purpose, often ignoring peculiar behavior and spilling onto the street to get to their destination.

Kagome watched one car on a side street slow and stop to greet a pedestrian, who went over to them to have a conversation. The emptiness was disconcerting, but Kagome swallowed her fear so she’d have an appetite to eat. After a bridge and short drive, the beach appeared on their right. The town, despite its initial gloominess, opened up like a blossom the further they drove in. Colorful roofs and thick gardens surrounded the pale concrete pathways and garland-wrapped streetlamps adorned every corner.

When they arrived at the restaurant, it looked more like a barn with pale gray walls and white trim. “Small town” didn’t begin to describe the place, but the wafting scents of a proper meal made Kagome coax Souta from the car. Once they entered and drew in the smells of fresh food, even Kagome’s younger brother forgot his nervousness. Despite the town’s smallness, no one stopped to look at them when they entered, save for the hostess, who was smiley and ready to seat them.

They sat at a table on a patio, where trees leaned in and bird feeders lined the banisters. Maemi eased back in her chair after a few glugs of light beer while Souta tried not to fall asleep in the cool shade of a tree. Kagome’s soda helped bring some energy back and when food showed up, she decided Cannon Beach might not be so bad. As long as the food was good—and her shrimp gumbo and rice looked amazing—she could survive until eighteen.

“Would you like your soda refilled, miss?”

Kagome glanced up and nearly choked on her food. A cute teenage boy offered her a charming smile with a pitcher in hand.

“Oh my,” started Maemi, which immediately made Kagome worry, “you are the cutest. What’s your name?”

His smile widened as he placed one hand on his chest. “You flatter me. My name is Miroku. You must be this lovely lady’s sister.”

Kagome’s mom laughed, which made her want to run back to the car. Who  _ was _ this guy? He was rather skinny, composed of lean muscle and pale skin, his eyes and hair dark as ebony stone. At the nape of his neck, a floof of hair was tied back, and he smelled wonderful, a sweet musk that caught Kagome off guard.

“Charming, too,” giggled Maemi, who made both Souta and Kagome groan. She ignored both of her children and answered, “No, I’m Kagome’s mother. Do you go to school around here?”

“Yes. I’m a junior. Kagome, was it?” he asked and refilled her glass. “Are you new here?”

Before her mother could answer, the young woman rushed in. “Yes, we moved here from New York. I’ll be a junior this year.”

“Then we’ll be in the same class!” he professed with a bright smile. “I’m sure we’re not as fancy as the school you went to in New York, but I can show you around if you’d like.”

This surprised her. “You would do that?”

“Of course!” he answered, grinning. “You can meet Sango, too. She’s my friend and I know you two will get along.”

“ _ MIROKU! _ ”

The teen flinched as his name, then whirled around to find the boss with hands on her hips while glaring at him. When Kagome twisted in her seat, the woman lost some of her steam and relaxed.

“Go sweep inside. You’re off in an hour, anyway,” she mused with a softer expression. “And tell Sango not to call while you’re working.”

“Okay, mom. I’ll see you at school, Kagome!” he exclaimed and waved at her. “Let me know if you need any more soda.”

“Thanks,” she replied. When she turned back to her meal, Kagome noticed her mother staring at her. “What…?”

“He’s cuu-uute.”

“I’ve spent like five seconds in this town, mom!” gasped the teen, already blushing from head to toe. “At least let me unpack before you start setting me up with boys.”

A gentle smile graced her features. “Well, it sounds like he has another friend, too. You’ll fit in fine.”

“Yeah…” Kagome dropped her attention to her shrimp gumbo. She knew her mother’s words were an effort to comfort, not to make her feel worse, but did she have to try to replace her New York friends so fast…? Her farewell party was only last week…

Kagome spent the remainder of lunch brooding while her mom and brother talked to each other. New York felt so far away...despite being a tiny town, Cannon Beach was so new and foreign, she might as well be in a new city, only with nothing to do. She had looked it up back when her mom initially told them they were heading west. Cannon Beach wasn’t exactly a hot spot for attractions, and what existed was mostly limited to nature. At least she still had her music…

After they finished their meals, Kagome decided she needed a moment alone and headed to the open, empty street so she could hear herself think again. It would take her mom a few minutes to pay, and thinking about New York was soiling her amazing gumbo. Drawing in a deep sigh, Kagome gathered a fistful of her gray cardigan and buried her face in it. She wanted to scream and cry, but all she could manage was a hapless whimper into the soft material. Why did she have to feel so...so... _ adult  _ all the time?! For once, she wanted to crumple to the ground without feeling guilty about it…

The sound of a skateboard drawing closer made Kagome sniff hard and hide her emotions before a stranger saw her look ridiculous.

“Hey, you ok?” asked a young, masculine voice as he kicked his skateboard off of the ground.

Kagome dropped her cardigan and found herself face-to-face with yet another teenaged boy. Warm brown eyes filled his pale face, an incredible wealth of black hair billowing around his shoulders down to his hips. Kagome had never seen so much hair on one person, and hair that looked as soft and silky that tempted her to touch it. Heat filled her cheeks at his proximity, which was (at most) a few inches.

“U-um…” she whispered, bunching her shoulders up.

“You look sad. Were you crying?” he asked again, stone-faced, as if he was talking about the weather. He wore a  _ Baroness _ t-shirt, a hardcore metal band, with dark jeans and chunky red headphones slung around his neck.

A breeze drifted from behind the boy, sending the warm scent of cinnamon rushing through her senses. Blushing even more, Kagome stuttered, “U-uh, I, um…”

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Kagome…” she glimpsed down at her feet, then back to him. “Yours?”

“ _ Inuyasha! _ ”

Both teens jumped with surprise as Miroku burst from the restaurant, package in hand. The long-haired boy, Inuyasha, immediately went pink and lifted up his skateboard like a shield.

“I thought you weren’t workin’ today!” exclaimed the skater boy as Miroku closed in on him.

“Do you think my mom would let me spend a Sunday doing nothing?” he wondered with a pleasant smile, happy that his friend ordered something from the restaurant. Miroku immediately latched onto the other boy, dragging him in for a hug, despite only being one-handed.

Inuyasha immediately began to squirm. “You freak! I only got somethin’ ’cause I thought you were off today! Let go of me!”

Alright, maybe the word  _ friend  _ was a stretch.

“Ah, Kagome,” said Miroku as he locked Inuyasha’s head into an arm hold. “This is Inuyasha, he’s in the same grade as us. Say hello, Inuyasha.”

“Fuck off! Let me go!”

“He said hello…” murmured Kagome, twisting the corner of her cardigan, pleased to know that he was in the same grade.

“ _ Let me go! _ ” cried Inuyasha, finally breaking free of Miroku’s hold. Blushing head to toe, he pointed at his box. “Just give me my freakin’ food! Why do you always have to be so  _ weird?! _ ”

It took a moment for Kagome to recompose herself, but once she did, she realized their dynamic: Inuyasha was rather shy, wasn’t he? Despite that, he still asked if she was okay...a warm, tense feeling bloomed in her stomach, like butterflies.

Snatching the box from Miroku’s hand, she offered it to Inuyasha with a smile. “Here. This is yours, right?”

The teen stared at her for a long second, his annoyance dying as he took the dole into his grasp. “Y-yeah, thanks.”

Miroku didn’t look upset or annoyed by the interference, but rather went along with the conversation. “Kagome just arrived from New York, Inuyasha. We’ll have to show her around town.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“You know, we’ll have Totosai for our teacher this year. He’s big on group projects.” With a growing smile, he patted the other boy’s shoulder. “You, me, Kagome, and Sango make four! We’re set for the year!”

“Quit volun-telling people to do stuff! She might wanna hang out with other people!” he professed, clutching his box closer to his chest as if Miroku might snatch it back. Then Inuyasha caught a glimpse of Kagome and his cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. “Unless she  _ wants  _ to hang out with us…”

Kagome clasped her hands behind her back and said, “I don’t mind.”

“Well, that’s cool, or whatever…see you at school, Kagome.” Inuyasha dropped his skateboard, still red as a cherry, and took off like a bat out of hell before she had a chance to reply.

When the dust settled, Miroku shot Kagome a smirk. “Those were pretty smooth moves, Kagome, you must be a pro.”

She pushed his face back with one hand. “Speak for yourself, he looked ready to pop. Do you regularly torture him?”

At this, he chuckled. “Inuyasha  _ says _ he orders food when I’m not here, but he only orders food when I  _ am _ here. My mom told me. He likes being teased occasionally.” Then he leaned in close again. “But it seems like  _ you _ caught his attention easy enough.”

“Sh-shut up! I didn’t do anything!” Blushing furiously, she stomped one foot to the ground.

“Sure, sure…”

“MIROKU!!”

“Crap, I gotta go. See you at school, Kagome!” he exclaimed and patted her shoulders. “Remember, we’re in school projects together! Don’t forget!”

When he rushed back inside, Kagome’s mother and Souta walked outside, looking much healthier and happier.

Maemi noticed her daughter’s flushed face and touched her shoulder. “Kagome, are you alright?”

“Yeah, now since she met a boy…” grumbled Souta with the roll of his eyes.

Kagome launched at her little brother and caught his cheeks, gently pulling them. “Wait till  _ you  _ bring a girl home, you little punk!”

“Alright, alright, let’s get to the house. The movers should already be there, so let’s not keep them waiting.”

Kagome let Souta go and whirled back around to head to the car—but, she had to admit...Cannon Beach  _ wasn’t _ such a bad place. She dwelled on Inuyasha, his sweet smell and how his dense mane of black hair glistened in the air as he floated away. He wore a metal t-shirt, and she wondered if he liked music, too...maybe he even played an instrument. An exciting wave of anticipation rushed through her stomach. If  _ one  _ person in the seaside town shared her love of music, then perhaps the place wasn’t as bad as she dreaded…

XXX

Their house was a shared duplex, but privacy wasn’t an issue. Enough bushes surrounded the place that Kagome was amazed any part of the house was still exposed to the street. It was simple, quaint, and pastel green, essentially the opposite of their apartment in New York.

When Kagome entered, the first thing she noticed was the space: this place made their apartment in New York seem cramped. Even with all their stuff, it would no doubt feel giant still. Those who moved their bubble-wrapped belongings left them in their respective rooms. Kagome went to the rear of the house to her new room, where a single, massive window faced even more bushes. 

“You could put a little couch there,” offered her mom, gesturing at the giant window. Kagome glanced at her. “Or your desk, whichever you’d rather.”

Kagome answered with a smile. “A couch sounds great, like a reading nook.”

“Exactly.” Her mom continued to smile for a moment, then it faltered for a second as she dropped her gaze. “Listen, Kagome...I — ”

“It’s okay.”

Maemi looked at her daughter again.

Kagome waved her hand through the air. “Everything is fine. I know you’re going through a lot right now, too.”

This time, her mother didn’t smile, but still nodded. “Of course. I’ll, um...let you get settled in. You don’t have to start unpacking today, but it would be good to do it before school starts.”

“Sounds good, mom.”

Maemi quietly shut her door without looking at her. When Kagome turned around again, she placed her violin case on the ground, then went straight to her bed. Without ceremony, she ripped off the plastic wrap and dropped onto the mattress, then groaned into the fabric. Every part of her felt tired...and she was still angry for some reason, frustrated by the turn of events, despite playing a part in them.

If it wasn’t for her, then...they might’ve still been in New York. But, Kagome also knew herself well enough that she would’ve made the same choices if she could do it again. How could she not…? It all seemed incredibly unfair, like fate took its chance to make an example of wishful thinking. Her college scholarship, up in smoke...their apartment, gone before they could blink...their friends and loved ones...they all seemed not to care.

_ “Good luck, Kagome!” _

“Good luck, right…” scoffed the young woman as she turned over on her back. Any one of her father’s friends, her mother’s friends, even  _ her _ friends could’ve helped them through the hard times. Instead, they simply watched as her father was ripped away from them and they lost all their money, which then made them lose everything else.

What would she do now? Music was going to be her life, and she achieved a scholarship by her own hard work and ability. She would grow up to be a violinist or a composer...which she all lost when she stopped going to school and got another job to help her mother with bills. Now what was she going to do? Kagome felt like there would be many cats in her future.

_ At least one person in this place likes music. _

Kagome’s eyes flickered open as that boy popped into her mind again. Inuyasha, huh? Well, Cannon Beach didn’t have a shortage of cute boys. Miroku, then...him. It was strange, Kagome had never seen anyone like Inuyasha, and her heart skipped when she imagined running her fingers through his long, silky black hair…

“Augh, stop it,” she reprimanded and pushed a finger to her forehead. “Cripes, you’d never think I had a boyfriend…”

But that Miroku and Inuyasha would be in her grade was a comforting thought...and if Inuyasha played an instrument, then perhaps they could play together and become friends...

XXX


	2. High School Sucks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, hope y'all had a great New Years. Started 2021 off right...with a hangover. So dumb lol anyway, enjoy this second chapter. I used to use fanfiction.net a lot more in the past, so I'm getting used to AO3's formatting. For some reason, it puts spaces between the punctuation and where I've italicized, but it doesn't appear until after I post the chapter. *shrugs I guess it adds to the general flavor of fanfiction writing ^^

Chapter 2

_Everything’s going to be fine._

The hallways were empty, and Kagome’s stomach churned at the idea of her new classmates seeing a disorganized girl fumble into class on the first day. _Everything’s going to be fine._ All she had to do was survive two more years in this place, then she’d be free to go to college—what was a little humiliation? Plus, she was wearing her favorite sweater top and loose jeans, and most people made the best entrance by being fashionably late…

Kagome slid to a stop in front of Mr. Totosai’s door. She plucked her sweater, tousled her hair, and cleared her throat before creaking open the door.

Every pair of eyes focused on her. Kagome’s heart climbed into her throat as an old man, as ancient as the dinosaurs themselves, turned to look at her. Heat filled her cheeks, but she swallowed her terror. “Hi, I’m very sorry I’m late, I—”

“You're the new girl!” proclaimed the teacher, a slouched old man with a stringy mustache and goatee. His eyes bulged from his skeleton-like face and wrinkly lips crinkled into each other like he was a living mummy more than an old man. “Why are you late, Ms. Higurashi?”

“W-well…” she started, wishing the floor would swallow her. “My mom usually wakes me up and she was used to my last school’s schedule. I’d usually take my bike, but it’s still in the storage unit, so I had to walk here on my own—”

“Where did you walk from?”

“Um...south? I’m not sure, I haven’t gotten a chance to—”

Totosai cut her off. “I remember when this town was tiny! The high school was a trailer, and all we had was a post office, the old country store, and a gas station…”

Kagome awkwardly stood at the head of the classroom while Totosai delved into a time long gone. She peered into the crowd, who looked as bored as teenagers could manage. Miroku, who sat in the back, gestured for her to walk over to one of the few available desks. Kagome, stoned-faced, pursed her lips and made slow steps away from the prattling teacher. _Don’t notice me, don’t notice me._

Holding her breath, Kagome whipped into a desk near the windows, in front of Inuyasha and to the left of Miroku. The boy's navy-blue windbreaker and skinny jeans accented his lean muscle and long neck. Their teacher was still talking, something about growing radishes fifty years ago.

Miroku leaned over to her and whispered, “Don’t worry, he does this...he’ll forget you even showed up in a few minutes. We’re on page three of the syllabus.”

“Thanks.” Kagome twisted around and peered at Inuyasha. His big, black hair gleamed like silk in the morning light and he adorned another band t-shirt. Big, brown eyes found hers and Inuyasha’s pale cheeks blushed before he looked down at his studies again.

Kagome turned her attention to the front again. _He’s so cute._

“—and then we had this big storm back in ’82 that destroyed my house! And then...wait, what was I talking about?” mumbled Totosai, scratching his nearly-bald head.

Miroku raised his hand. “Group projects, sir.”

“Right! Group projects. Minimum of two, max of four. If you want to work by yourself, you gotta give me a good reason!” he proclaimed and slapped a meter-long stick onto his desk. His students jumped. “I’m a lie detector and know when you teenagers are being stupid! Don’t try to give me excuses!”

Totosai forgot Kagome existed as he went on with the syllabus, explaining about his love of group projects, personal growth, and long stories involving adventure and embellished courage from the past. The way he went on, the teen figured he survived American Civil War. In a class of sixteen students, Kagome thought she would get more one-on-one time with her teacher, but with a guy like this...well, she wouldn’t be expecting much from him.

When the bell rang, Kagome stood up with her backpack.

“Here.”

Kagome glanced over, finding Miroku handing her an energy shot. “For hard Mondays.”

“Oh!” She took the dole and smiled. “Thank you, Miroku. I appreciate it. I even forgot my phone at home...it’s been a rough morning.”

His calm smile soothed her frayed nerves. “Don’t worry, things will smooth out soon. It’s not easy moving to a new place.”

Behind her, Inuyasha raced to the door, but Miroku latched onto his collar and held him back.

The long-haired teen exclaimed, “ _Let me go!_ ”

“You’re going to be in our group projects...right, Inuyasha?” he wondered.

“Fuck off! I don’t have to do shit!” snapped the other, baring his teeth.

A whiteboard eraser soared past them and almost hit Inuyasha’s head, before it lodged into the wall behind them like a knife. All three teens glanced at Totosai, whose arm was still extended.

“Sir?” asked Kagome.

“I already have you brats in a group, so don’t cause a fuss.” Totosai’s beady eyes focused on Miroku. “Where’s that other girl, the one with common sense?”

Miroku, still holding onto a growling Inuyasha, calmly answered, “Sango had a tournament in Seattle.”

“Well...it looks like this one, Kagome, has common sense too, even if she was horribly late to class.”

“I’m sorry—”

“I know you’re sorry, and you won’t be late again,” he jutted in and hobbled up to her. “Don’t look so despondent, these boys aren’t as ridiculous as they seem. Give yourself a chance to settle in and things will straighten out on their own.”

Kagome stared at the older teacher, finding warmth in his words. A small smile graced her features as she clutched her many books. “I will, thank you.”

“And you might want to get a bike!” he suddenly shouted, making her flinch. “Which reminds me, I have to fix my bike...it’s my good one, I got it in the sixties! They made stuff _good_ back then!”

Together, the three teens crept to the door leading into the corridor. Kagome squeezed between the two boys as they inched away, then finally escaped into the safety of a crowd. Right away, Kagome sought out her locker and held up the paper which labeled her classes.

“Kagome, I’ll see you at lunch!” proclaimed Miroku as he blended with the crowd.

“Sounds good!”

She waved at him, then focused on her paper again. “Two-nineteen..two-nineteen…”

Kagome shoved herself between loitering teens and found her locker, glad to be rid of her pack and heavy books. As she screwed in her locker combination, a shadow fell over her slim form. Kagome twisted around to find Inuyasha glaring down at her with crossed arms.

“Um...is something wrong?” she mumbled. _He looks kind of scary now._

“No. Just hurry up so I can get my crap!”

She glanced around and noticed the locker beneath hers. “Is that yours?”

“Yeah! And we only got five minutes, so quit dawdling!”

 _Sheesh._ Kagome whipped back around and moved along as quickly as she could. What happened to the cute boy from this morning? She wondered what could’ve put Inuyasha in such a foul mood in the span of an hour.

“Come _on!_ ” he proclaimed again, right into her ear.

That was it.

“ _Look!_ ” she snapped and stuck a finger under his chin. “If you’re in such a damn hurry, then crouch and get your crap, but stop rushing me!”

When their locker neighbors started giggling at him, a blush flooded his cheeks and he smacked her hand away. “Fine!”

Kagome cried out as the boy ducked down, shoved her legs apart, and pushed between them. _What an obnoxious brat!_ With a huff, and far too proud to give him space, Kagome hauled her bag into the small locker and snatched her English book. The small crush which had sprouted earlier died like a flower caught on fire.

Inuyasha yanked open his locker, which was decorated with pictures of bands, sheet music, and a photo of a woman. After a moment, Inuyasha lifted his gaze to Kagome and she snapped her attention away. The boy finished and, with even less ceremony than before, grabbed both of her legs and hauled himself up. Kagome froze from the physical contact, and Inuyasha didn’t say a word as he stomped off.

After dragging her soul back into her body, Kagome shut her locker and peered at the giggling girl next to her.

The blonde said, “He’s a wild one, watch out.”

The young woman sighed as her legs tingled from where Inuyasha touched her; no doubt they would be for the rest of the day. _Oh, geez…_

XXX

Kagome’s remaining day stayed chaotic. She discovered her English and biology classes were both ahead of her last school, which left her plenty of weekend homework. She was grateful to Miroku for showing her a website to get free Cliffnotes, which would spare her some headache, but that was one problem among many. For whatever reason, Inuyasha’s bad mood persisted through each of her classes, making even Miroku avoid him.

“Leave him alone for today, and hopefully whatever is ailing him will give up tonight,” was his explanation. “We all have our inner struggles.”

She couldn’t argue with that.

When school ended, Kagome was on the last of her nine lives. All she wanted was to get home, eat something, and start on her long, _long_ list of homework assignments. Now all she had to do was find her way home…

 _Crap. I forgot my phone!_ Glancing around, Kagome searched for Miroku in the thick crowd and wound up spotting him on the track field. _Shit._

Well, that idea flew out the window. With a hard swallow, the young woman noticed Inuyasha untethering his bike from the silver rack at the school’s entrance. He spotted her out of the corner of his eye and, for a moment, Kagome lifted her hand and opened her mouth—but his equally tired expression kept her from voicing the request. The boy turned around again, hopped on his bike, and took off.

With a sigh, Kagome knew she was on her own. _This town is so tiny, I should be fine._ Her brain reminded her that the only reason she found the school this morning was that she followed a group of other teenagers to it. _Shut up! Everything’s going to be fine._

Well…

A couple of hours later and now in an area that was more forest than town, Kagome was officially _lost_.

“How did this happen?!” she yelled at the sky.

She was certain she retraced her steps...unless she was meant to turn right at that stop sign like an hour ago. It was growing darker by the second, leaving Kagome feeling twitchy as shadows seeped through the trees like black ink. Her mom was no doubt home by now, but a lot of good that did without a phone to call her.

Underneath a single lamp at the barren intersection of a broken road, Kagome huddled next to the pole. There was a house at the corner, but like hell she would knock on their door. Stupid as she was, she didn’t feel like getting eaten by Ma and Pa Dahmer. Plus, the place was massive and surrounded by a dense wall of trees and bushes; she could barely see the second-floor deck.

“Well, I guess things couldn’t get _much_ worse…” she mumbled.

Lightning flashed, followed by a crack of thunder.

“Please don’t.”

And then it did, in buckets. This rain wasn’t like the kind in New York—this stuff fell in immense, heavy waves, soaking her to the bone in a matter of minutes. Kagome thought about hiding under the trees, but at this point, she was so exhausted, so done, so utterly _spent_ , that she stood in the torrents and let it drench her.

Inside the house at the street corner, Inuyasha peeled off his headphones when the rain began to fall. It hit the upstairs windows with such force that it sounded like someone pounded on the glass. Clad in his favorite red sweatpants and hoodie, he put down his math textbook and paused his music to get a drink. At least he had the house to himself tonight and could get ahead on his homework before the weekend started. The last thing he wanted was school chipping into the two days he used to play music and catch up on sleep.

As Inuyasha poured himself water from the sink, a blood-curdling scream made him seize and drop the glass.

_That was outside!_

Twisting on his heel, Inuyasha raced onto the upper deck and latched onto the railing, searching for the source. When his eye caught a figure below the lamp at the corner, his heart jumped as recognition dawned on him. _Is that...Kagome?_

For some reason, she was just standing there while getting pounded by the rain. Then she screamed again, making Inuyasha flinch, until her cry descended into laughter and she shook her head.

“Well, I got that out of my system…” she said and turned left.

Inuyasha’s stomach twisted as he shouted, “What’re you _doing?_ ”

Kagome froze on the spot, then gradually turned around and peered up at him. “Inu...Inuyasha?”

He gestured at her. “What’re you doing? How did you get all the way out here?”

When she did nothing but stare at him blankly, the boy sighed and whipped back around to head downstairs. How did she get all the way to the outskirts of town? Inuyasha snatched a towel from the bathroom before heading to the front door. Then he remembered earlier today, in school, when she took that five-hour energy shot from Miroku.

_“I even forgot my phone at home...it’s been a rough morning.”_

A tinge of guilt washed over him when he remembered how she looked at him after school let out. Was she going to ask him for directions? She seemed to notice that he was having a bad day and chose to let him go rather than ask for help.

 _Shit...I’m such an asshole._ His gut twisted at the thought. _It wasn’t even her fault._

Inuyasha threw open the front door and dashed to the sidewalk, finding Kagome halfway across the road when he ran up to her.

“Kagome!” he called out.

When she turned, he walked up to her and whipped the towel over her head and around her tiny shoulders. She looked so small and pale, her big brown eyes staring up at him like a lost kitten. His heart skipped a beat again and he swallowed, capturing that moment in his memory for all time.

“What’re you doing? C’mon, get inside before you get a freaking cold,” he said and pushed her toward the front door before she had a chance to protest. When he closed the entrance, she was still dripping wet. “Sheesh, you’re a mess.”

She glared at him. “Thanks.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. How did you get this far out here?” he wondered and gestured at her to follow.

“I got lost...” she muttered, dropping her gaze to the floor.

 _I knew it,_ he thought and frowned. Now he felt even worse...what if she got a cold, too? Damn it. Glancing over his shoulder, he quietly said, “Do you wanna borrow my phone?”

At this, her eyes brightened. “Yes! Yes, please.”

Inuyasha took his phone from his pocket and unlocked it, then passed it to her. “Here.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

While talking on the phone, Kagome absently followed Inuyasha to his room and pulled off her backpack. The thing looked like it weighed a million pounds...why was she carrying all of her books home? Inuyasha caught small glimpses of her as his stomach continued to churn and squeeze. A little shiver trailed up her spine as she used the towel to dab her hair dry.

“No, mom, I forgot my phone. Oh yeah? And where would I borrow one? I thought I could remember how to get home...no, my friend Inuyasha noticed me on the street. He’s in my grade, I met him on the same day I met Miroku. They’re friends, too.” She paused and glanced at him. “Can I have your address so my mom can pick me up?”

Inuyasha gave it to her, which she then relayed to her mom. The boy pondered her words and scratched behind his ear as he awkwardly stood in the center of his room. _She doesn’t actually think I’m her friend after what happened today, does she?_ Not to mention she called him and Miroku friends. _Why did she think that?_ The guy only bugged him sometimes, it wasn’t like they hung out or anything…

Inuyasha didn’t really hang out with anyone.

Out of his peripheral, he noticed Kagome shudder again and tighten the wet towel around her shoulders. His heart did a strange flip and he walked over to his closet to find her some dry clothes. _I am_ not _getting blamed for this girl catching a cold on her first day of school._

“Okay mom. Yes, I’ll stay here. See you in a few.” Kagome hung up and drew in a deep sigh.

“Here.”

The young woman noticed Inuyasha offering her a black hoodie and sweatpants, even as he avoided her gaze.

“Is that...for me?”

He scoffed. “Of course it’s for you. You’ll get sick if you stay in those wet clothes.” He glanced at her, then quickly looked away again. “Just bring them to school tomorrow, alright?”

A smile finally returned to her features. “Alright.”

While she went to the bathroom to change, Inuyasha tried to calm himself down. _She’s so pretty._ He thought of how she looked at him with pleasant curiosity this morning, and how much he wanted to tug on her thick braid. Then he got mad because she reminded him of someone else, which ruined his day, then consequently ruined hers. And the way he talked to her at the lockers...he provoked her, then got mad all over again and embarrassed her in front of their peers…

Within minutes, Inuyasha stared blankly at the wall as his heart crumpled in his chest. _This is why you don’t have friends._

The bathroom door clicked open and Kagome came out with a loose bun on top of her head, looking adorable and cozy in his dark clothing. His worries withered away when she smiled at him.

“What do you think?” she asked and did a small twirl.

His face suddenly felt hot. “C-cute. You look cute.”

“Your clothes are very comfy.”

“Thanks.”

Inuyasha plopped onto his bed that was forever messy as his mind raced for something to talk about. What did girls like to talk about? He tried to recall from the last teen movie he watched, but that was like six years ago…

Kagome settled onto the edge of his mattress, looking somber all over again. “Listen, Inuyasha...I know you had a hard day. At least, it seemed like you had a hard day. So thank you for helping me. I would’ve had to retrace my steps back to the school, and then who knew how long it would take me to get home.”

“It was nothing…” he mumbled and folded his legs. “I was having a bad day and...sorry for taking it out on you. But _next_ time, ask me for directions. I won’t get mad.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Inuyasha peered at her and found she was looking around his room, especially at the band posters. Then her eyes fell upon his red and black guitar and he sensed his confidence turn to dust before his very eyes.

“You _do_ play!” she exclaimed and walked over to the instrument.

His eyes bulged from his face as he followed after her. “How did _you_ know?!”

“Lucky guess,” she giggled as she pushed up her sleeves and lifted the guitar from its stand. With finesse, she wrapped the strap around her neck and strummed her fingers across the silver strings. Kagome finally looked at him and her smile dropped. “Oh, I’m sorry, I can put it back if you want me to. I didn’t even think to ask—”

“No, no, no,” he said, his mouth dry as he waved his sleeves in the air, then rubbed his head. “I, uh, didn’t know you could play that. The guitar. That guitar.”

A small grin danced on her lips. “Well, I can play a _little_...but you know, a little princess like me had violin lessons. The guitar was always a guilty pleasure for me.”

Kagome began to strum out _Love Me Do_ by the Beatles. The boy watched in mounting fascination as she decently played and softly sang along. He leaned in closer and realized she had a singer’s voice—and a very powerful one, even as a whisper. When Kagome finished, she did a little hop, then returned to the instrument to its stand.

“That was...that was good,” he said, fidgeting.

“Thanks! You’ve been my first audience since almost a year ago…” She grinned and tucked her hands into the sleeves. “Thank you for letting me play. We should have a jam session together.”

“S-sure…”

Kagome talked with him about music until her mom arrived, her bubbly voice wrapping him up. Apparently she was quite the violinist, having played in full-sized concerts with a few solos here and there. Inuyasha couldn’t help but wonder what made her stop playing, but knew she probably wasn’t comfortable talking about that yet. He wanted the night to keep going forever, the way she talked and smiled made him feel good.

When a knock came on the front door, Inuyasha carried her bag downstairs and shyly introduced himself.

Maemi gasped when her eyes fell upon the boy. “Oh my goodness, look at the long, beautiful hair! You’re such a cute boy!”

Inuyasha’s mind blanked, but thankfully Kagome was there to save him. “Mo-om! Don’t call boys cute, it makes them feel weird!”

“But he _is_ cute,” she said, confused.

Kagome turned and took her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. He said, “Well, I’ll see you at school. Remember your phone this time.”

“I will,” she answered with a grin. Then she did something he _didn’t_ expect and circled an arm around his shoulders, squeezing their cheeks together. “Thanks again. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Before he could reciprocate, she pounced away and followed after her mother, who bid him goodnight. Inuyasha closed the door, feeling warm and fuzzy despite the sharp chill from the rain. As he climbed upstairs and collapsed onto his bed, he could still smell her soft aroma, like sweet spring flowers…

XXX


	3. Sango and Koga

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments! I'm going to try to update on Mondays. I hope you enjoy the third installment!

Chapter 3

Inuyasha felt his heart pound faster with each passing minute as he tapped the end of his pen against the desk. His entire morning had Kagome walking circles in his head, and he hoped that her pleasant attitude hadn’t died.

Miroku sat a seat ahead to his right, who turned to regard the long-haired teen. “Nervous about something, Inuyasha?”

“ _ No _ ,” he stated before Miroku could get any bright ideas. The guy would make a fuss if he learned that Kagome went over to his house.

“You look awfully anxious…” started the other as he closed in, holding his chin with a thumb and pointer finger. “You realized you were being a jerk yesterday, didn’t you?”

Crossing his arms, he leaned back into the plastic chair. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I had a bad day, so what?”

Miroku drew ever closer. “And it seems to me that you apologized to her, didn’t you?”

Inuyasha leaned back even more. “Well...what of it? Who gives a shit?”

“That’s very mature of you.”

“Fuck off.”

“Next time, try flowers.”

“ _ Flowers?! _ ”

“What are you two  _ doing? _ ” asked a bold voice above them.

Inuyasha realized that Miroku was about an inch away from his face and shoved the guy back with a single hand. “Nothing,  _ Sango _ . Your boyfriend is being a dumb idiot again.”

Kagome entered the classroom right as Sango proclaimed, “He’s not my boyfriend! And what’re you two talking about flowers for, anyway?”

Both Miroku and Inuyasha glanced at the door where Kagome entered. The young woman watched Sango turn around to face her, a brilliant curtain of waist-length black hair sweeping through the air.  _ Oh my god...she’s gorgeous! _

“Who’s the mouse?” she wondered.

“M-mouse?” wondered Kagome, blushing as Sango strode up to her.

She wore a cute outfit of a loose gray tank top with black jeans and Converse. “You must be Kagome. Miroku told me about you.”

“He did?” squeaked the other girl, feeling sheepish in her windbreaker and hiking boots. After getting home so late, Kagome stayed up to finish her homework and shower. By the time morning rolled around, it took everything she had to drag herself out of bed.

Sango, on the other hand, was made of lean muscle and long legs, looking fresh as a daisy. A smile broke out on her features. “You’re right, Miroku, she’s super cute! I can’t wait for us to be friends!”

“Th-thanks! Me too!” answered Kagome, unsure of how else she could respond.  _ Thanks for putting me on a pedestal, Miroku… _

Then she glanced over and noticed Inuyasha staring at her and her heart jumped into her throat. The four returned to their seats, with Sango sitting behind Miroku. Inuyasha wore his usual punk getup, this time with a Metallica t-shirt and thick leather boots.

Kagome sunk into her chair, then twisted around and pressed her hands together. “Inuyasha...I’m so sorry, but I forgot your hoodie and sweatpants.”

Both Sango and Miroku swung around to stare at Inuyasha with dropped jaws. “ _ Hoodie?! _ ” they both exclaimed.

“F-fuck off!” he exclaimed and ducked under his arm.

_ Why are they so surprised? _

Totosai marched into class, donned in jeans up to his chest and a retro leather bike helmet with aviator goggles strapped to them.

“Alright, sit down and shut up. We’re learning about the French Revolution and how political cartoons and propaganda affect public opinion!”

The rest of Kagome’s morning went far better than her first day. Sango was insanely charming and had no qualms about talking to her like they had been best friends for years. They shared third period English before lunch (without Miroku and Inuyasha) and Kagome took the opportunity to ask Sango some questions.

Their English teacher, Myoga, was another old man with a balding head, a round face, and a red, pronounced nose. “First book this semester is  _ Pride and Prejudice _ . Don’t groan at me, boys, I’m doing you a favor. Quote a couple of lines for this one and girls will pay attention. I’ve done it myself with great success.”

This time, the girls moaned in distress. Like Totosai, Mr. Myoga often liked to go on tirades of old memories from brighter days. He wasn’t as ancient as their history teacher, but was as easily distracted.

“Now,” he began and brushed his fingers through a wiry, thin mustache, “get into pairs. One person will read a chapter a night, then have to be able to explain it to their partner the next day. During class, you’ll have to re-write the chapter in modern language, then we’ll have a presentation at the end of the trimester. For today, you can read the first chapter in class together.”

Teenagers began scooting their desks together and Kagome positioned hers next to Sango. As excited as her new friend was during their initial meeting, she could’ve been humoring Miroku at his suggestion.

Thankfully, that was not the case. Sango effortlessly dragged her desk around and then plopped into it again.

“It’s my third time reading this book, so this should be a breeze,” she began and tied her hair up in a bun. “So, where are you from, Kagome?”

“New York.”

“ _ Oh _ , that’s another planet. Why Cannon Beach?”

Kagome pulled her sleeves over her hands and tucked them in her lap. “My dad died three years ago, and we couldn’t afford the big apartment and expensive lifestyle anymore.”

“I’m very sorry. Adapting to life without one of your parents is an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”

This poked her interest. “Did...did one of your…”

“My mother, ten years ago. A home robbery that went wrong. Me and my little brother, Kohaku, hid in the closet while my dad was out getting us pizza. The day gets branded in your mind and you end up thinking about it when you’re not thinking about anything else.” She rubbed Kagome’s shoulder, as though comforting her. “Or even when you  _ are  _ thinking about other things.”

“God, Sango, I’m so sorry. That’s terrifying.” Kagome clenched a hand to her chest. “Do things...get easier?”

“Well…I wouldn’t say  _ easier _ . Going through it again in your own way helps to process, and the intensity of it shrinks. You do your best to patch up the hole and it works most of the time, but sometimes it can rip a little bit, and you gotta patch it up again. Try to cut yourself slack when you can.” Sango gave her a soft smile, until she suddenly frowned and pointed at the other girl. “But if you need to talk to someone, do it. Don’t ignore that shit.”

“Sango, language…” Myoga murmured from his desk.

“Sorry, sir.” She looked back at Kagome and her bright grin returned. “So, you borrowed Inuyasha’s sweater, huh?”

_ She’s got a lot of energy, _ noted Kagome to herself. “And his sweatpants. I meant to bring them today, but I was up so late that I barely remembered to put on my shoes this morning.”

“Can I ask what happened?” she asked while nodding her eyebrows.

Kagome, still confused, answered, “Well, I haven’t memorized what the town looks like, so I ended up getting lost on my way home from school. I forgot my phone in the morning, and by sundown, I wound up on the outskirts of town in the pouring rain.”

Sango scooted a little closer. “ _ And _ …?”

“He saw me standing on the street corner and brought me inside. Let me call my mom and lent me his clothes. They were so comfy.” Kagome sensed her cheeks heat up at the memory. Not only were they cozy, but they smelled like Inuyasha, too. She ended up falling asleep on top of them after her shower.

“Aww, that’s so sweet of him,” murmured Sango, leaning her chin on her palm.

“I was, uh...going to ask…”

“About what?”

“Well...I mean...it seemed like you and Miroku were  _ really _ surprised about it. Can I ask why?”

“Oh.” Sango’s eyes widened and she looked down at her notebook, blushing. “Sorry about that. Don’t get me wrong, Inuyasha’s got good intentions.”

Kagome’s eyebrows perked up.

“He’s not a creep or anything. Even his outbursts are just that— _ outbursts _ . I’ve never actually seen the guy pick a fight.” Leaning back, she then placed a pencil on her nose and attempted to balance it. “How do I put it...he’s an enigma. One minute he’ll let you borrow his notes for a final, and then next he’ll ignore you for a week. Miroku and I have tried to get him to hang out in the past, but he never goes for it.”

Kagome turned her attention to the book on her desk. That would explain why he asked her if she was crying when they met, then ignoring her on the first day of school. However, shyness didn’t seem like the cause. Why was he an abrasive brat one minute, then a knight in shining armor the next?

“But...he likes you, so maybe he’ll start hanging out with us more often!” she gasped with a cheesy smile.

Myoga huffed and planted his hands on his hips. “Sango…”

“Sorry, sorry…” she opened up her book as she waved at the teacher, then turned back to Kagome. “We’ll talk about it more at lunch.”

XXX

Despite Sango’s hopeful remark, Inuyasha  _ did not _ like Kagome enough to sit with them during lunch. For some reason, he stayed in the cafeteria, sitting alone on a bench near the emergency exit. As he ate, his heavy glare remained fixed on his phone, not once peering up at his surroundings.

“Well, there’s always tomorrow,” said Sango with a shrug.

Kagome sighed as Miroku plopped down across from them. “Hello, ladies...what fortune I’ve been blessed with that I have  _ two _ beautiful girls as friends.”

Sango shot him a flat look. “Don’t forget it.”

“How can I when you’re so dazzling, Sango?”

At this, a tint of pink filled her cheeks even as she rolled her eyes. Kagome got a feeling her new friends had some underlying affection for each other, but maybe that was the hopeless romantic in her talking.

“So Inuyasha’s in his corner today, huh? I’d certainly say that’s our fault,” he said while pulling out a gourmet-looking sandwich.

Sango sighed while picking at her pretzels. “I already tried to apologize, but he acts like he doesn’t remember.”

“Maybe he’s had trouble with friends in the past.”

Both Miroku and Sango looked at Kagome, who voiced the suggestion. At their abrupt silence, she felt sheepish and started nibbling on one of her baby carrots. “I might be wrong, though…”

The two exchanged a look, then Miroku cupped his chin. “That might be possible...and something I never considered before.”

“What kind of shitty friends did he have before that made him so distrustful now?” asked Sango with a disgusted look on her face. “I could always hop down to L.A. and destroy them.”

“D...destroy them…?” wondered Kagome nervously.

Miroku boasted with pride, “Sango’s a kickboxing champion. I’ve seen her easily take down grown men on her own. She has a whole wall stuffed with trophies!”

“Wow...that’s amazing! I never knew anyone in self-defense classes.”

“Well, I’d love to teach you! I’m trying to get Miroku and Inuyasha to sign up,” she said, smiley as could be.

Kagome pondered the offer. “It  _ would _ be a good way to stay in shape during the winter…”

“Miroku!”

The trio turned to look across the lunchroom, where a tall and toned boy sauntered over to their table. Kagome could tell he was a jock by his confident strut and the smirk on his lips. Long, dark hair was pulled into a ponytail on top of his head and hours spent under the sun gave him a tanned skin tone. He was rather handsome —but he looked cocky, too. 

The burly kid plopped down next to Miroku. “You didn’t make the track team this year. What the fuck happened?”

“Tragic, I know.” Miroku’s less-than-tragic expression, however, said otherwise. “I guess I’ll have to mingle with the peasants this year.”

“Don’t tell me you actually bought that drum set this summer and  _ that’s _ what you plan to do with your free time?” He asked, his lip curling with displeasure. “Music is a fool’s run, Miroku. You’ll be forty without getting a show and have to make sandwiches until the day you die, if you don’t wind up  _ homeless _ .”

Miroku wasn’t intimidated by the warning. “I guess that’s a chance I have to take. Thanks for worrying about me, though, Koga.”

The boy named Koga huffed and crossed his arms. “I’m not  _ worried _ , dipshit, this is bad for the track team, too! You’re one of our best sprinters!” After a second, he went on, “I bet it was that Inuyasha who got your hopes up. That idiot has no clue what real life is like.”

“This might come as a surprise…” started Sango, looking annoyed, “but Miroku liked the drums  _ before _ he met Inuyasha. He’s been saving up for them for three years now.”

Koga waved his hand through the air. “Fair, fair. All I’m saying is to have a back-up plan.”

“It’s making sandwiches until the day I die, remember? Or winding up being homeless.” Miroku smirked.

“Or you could save yourself by trying out for the track team again. Scholarship, college, bright future.” Koga wiggled his hands with an excited grin.

Sango grumbled, “Don’t hold your breath.”

Kagome stayed quiet, rather enjoying listening to their banter. Then, Koga glanced in her direction and did a double-take. The girl found herself tensing upon the guy’s abashed look.

“ _ Whoa! _ ” he gasped and turned to face her fully. “You’re  _ beautiful! _ Are you new here? What’s your name?”

“Um...Kagome.” Her stomach twisted at Koga’s compliment. No one had ever called her beautiful before...well, except her mom.

“Kagome, huh? Beautiful name, beautiful face. Where are you from?” He leaned a little further over the table, a small grin adorning his features.

“New York.”

His eyebrows lifted with interest. “Wow, that’s quite a big change. I’m sure our town seems itty-bitty compared to what you’re used to.”

“I guess so…” she mumbled and continued munching on her carrots. What Koga didn’t know was that she tried her hand at dating a jock, and well...it wasn’t really her thing. Hojo was sweet as Christmas, but like so many in the popular crowd, would often jump to conclusions or act entitled. Kagome ended up breaking it off before she left, which Hojo did not take so well.

“I’d love to show you around. There’s a cute ice cream shop near the pier that we could visit after school on Friday.” He smiled at her again and cupped his heavily muscled shoulder.

Kagome found herself seeking an escape. “Um...I actually have to catch up on homework this weekend...but I appreciate the offer.”

“Next weekend, then. Once you’ve caught up on academics.”

“Maybe…” she mumbled, then stood up. “Speaking of, I have to ask Inuyasha about a math problem from earlier…nice to meet you, Koga.”

She tugged out her pita sandwich from her bag and hustled over to Inuyasha’s corner. After Hojo’s rather dramatic reaction to their split, Kagome was a little nervous about brushing off a guy again.

Inuyasha lifted his gaze upon her approach, then made a face when she plopped down next to him. “What’re you doing?”

“Sitting down.”

“Obviously. Why are you sitting down next to  _ me? _ ” he wondered and glanced over at her previous spot. “I thought you were...oh.”

Kagome watched as Koga and Inuyasha shared a hair-raising glare between them. Like two aggressive dogs at a park, the air itself grew thick with malice until Koga shot up, said something to Miroku, then whipped around and left.

_ Do they...hate each other? _ thought Kagome, confused all over again.

Inuyasha muttered with frustration, “Did you use me to piss him off?”

She snapped her attention to his face. “ _ Absolutely not. _ He came on too strong, so I told him I wanted to ask you a math question.”

Her firm tone seemed to settle his nerves and his shoulders eased down. “I thought you’d like guys like Koga.”

“And what part of our two-day relationship gave you that impression?”

“You seem like you’d be with the popular crowd, that’s all,” he grumbled and pulled out a bag of garlic chips from his backpack.

“I don’t go out of my way for it…” she answered and sighed. “I had an ex-boyfriend who was captain of the football team in my last school. From the outside it looks nice, but I got sick of the pressure after about two months.”

Inuyasha locked his phone and pocketed it. “And yet you wanted to be a violinist…?”

“Performing music for an audience is  _ not _ the same as dating a popular boy. Some random person isn’t going to tell me how I need to play my violin based on a single concert, but someone  _ did _ tell me I was only dating Hojo for his money. I had never even met the girl before in my life!” she proclaimed, then tore a bite out of her sandwich as the frustrating memory resurfaced.

Inuyasha murmured, “Yeah...I guess so…”

After a second, she realized how much she unloaded on the guy. “Um...sorry. TMI, am I right?”

“Whatever, don’t worry about it.”

She shot him a small, curious glance. “So why do you and Koga not like each other…?”

Inuyasha immediately became annoyed. “Hey, this isn’t _sharing_ _hour_ , y’know.”

_ I guess it was a stretch that he might reciprocate _ . Kagome munched on her pita and mumbled, “You’re right, I’m sorry…”

They sat together in silence for a few minutes, then Inuyasha shook the chip bag and muttered, “I dunno. Guy’s a hothead like me...and his family is poor, so he probably thinks it’s unfair that I’m a rich boy who takes it for granted or something…”

“Neither of you chose to be rich or poor, though…” she said and settled her hands into her lap.

“Tell that to a guy who has two younger brothers while his parents work four jobs between them…” muttered Inuyasha.

_ Well, he’s not inept,  _ thought Kagome as she resumed eating her lunch.

“But I’d dare him to try living a day of my life and then try to complain.”

Kagome peered at Inuyasha again, who looked cool as a cucumber. His small statement unnerved her, though, and she asked, “Is something going on at your house?”

It was the boy’s turn to get embarrassed, having realized he over shared. “No, it’s fine. Just different lifestyles, different problems.”

“Seriously….” she pressed and scooted close enough to him that she leaned into his arm. “If there’s something going on, you should tell someone. You have friends who will help you out.”

“It’s fine! I’m just saying it’s a matter of perspective, you don’t need to get all...all…” Inuyasha’s voice faded as he turned from pink to red, then glanced down.

Kagome noticed her chest flush against his raised forearm and jerked herself away, her cheeks burning.  _ Oops _ . In an effort to forget the awkward exchange, she said, “So Miroku got a drum set.”

Despite still being red as a cherry, Inuyasha’s interest piqued. “He did? Did he buy that thing he was fawning over last year?”

“You’ll have to ask him,” she said with a shy smile. “But we should all do a session together! I’d love to hear you play.”

He turned away from her, but Kagome didn’t miss the stark frown on his features. “Well...maybe…”

“Or I can just steal your guitar again.”

“Sure.”

Kagome swallowed, feeling awkward all over again. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to push you...if you don’t want to.”

Inuyasha sighed and flopped back against the bench, then hoisted one foot onto his knee. “Since you seem desperate to hear me play, I guess I have no choice.”

“I know it’s a great sacrifice,” she giggled, feeling better than she hadn’t somehow offended him. “But just think, if we actually jive together, we could form a band. Post NewTube videos. Go on tour...and then when we’re in an interview, you can boast as much as you want.”

Kagome peered over at Inuyasha and, for the first time, a smile tugged at his lips. Instead of the disgruntled and timid boy, a confident teen returned her gaze and answered, “It’s a deal.”

XXX


	4. Pride and Courage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments everyone ^^ I’m glad you’re enjoying the story! These grammar programs are driving me nuts, the formatting doesn’t follow, the pop ups don’t go away...if anyone knows any great grammar programs that aren’t Grammarly or Hemingwayapp, that would be super lol anyway, there’s a lot more content to come! Enjoy chapter 4 :)

Chapter 4

As school went underway and work flooded her schedule, Kagome took a few weeks to catch up. Thankfully, with her new friends’ help, she recovered in half the time rather than if she had no assistance at all. 

Today was the first day of October and the first trees were beginning to turn bright yellow. Kagome was on her way to school, the wind combing her hair as she rode her bike through town. The chilly air did little against her oversized sweater and straight-cut jeans. For the first time in a while, she felt relaxed and satisfied, her schoolwork completed while she eased into her new life. She also looked forward to the history project so she could spend more time with her new friends. 

_Even Inuyasha...even though he still kinda avoids us,_ she thought. Perhaps with the project, he would begin to feel more comfortable around them. 

“Kagome!” 

The young woman slid to a stop and turned to find Koga running up to her. “Hey, how’s it going? You look very nice today.”

“Good morning, Koga. Thank you,” she said and glanced over his attire, a simple combination of a black shirt, jeans, and thick boots. “You’re looking dapper yourself.”

A handsome smile dawned on his features. “Thank you. Do you mind if we walk together?”

“Not at all.”

Kagome wasn’t sure if Miroku spoke to Koga after their first tense meeting, but the guy had cooled his heels. After a few more conversations in the lunchroom, she realized Koga was a himbo. She reminded him of a puppy...like a German Shepherd puppy. Energetic and ready for action, but also loyal and sweet...if not a little defensive. 

Koga cleared his throat. “So, uh...I heard you can play the violin.”

“Yes. I used to play for my last school’s symphony.”

His eyes bulged. “They had a _symphony?_ ”

“We used to have a lot of music and art clubs.” A smile flickered across her lips. “There are only about three hundred kids here, but that many were in my class when I was in New York.”

“Sheesh, I can’t even imagine. Was it a nice school?”

“In some ways. Being in the middle of New York has its perks, and the facility and staff were great. I always got the attention I needed during school, but a lot of the kids were from well-off families. For them, it was important to have the next best thing, the best car, the best phones and clothes...I knew a girl there who never wore the same shirt twice. One boy bought the newest phone whenever it was available _and_ all the accessories with it. Your appearance and what you could buy defined them…” She mumbled the last part as memories washed over her, but she was glad not to live in that world anymore.

“That’s disgusting,” grumbled Koga and he tucked his hands in his pockets. “That sort of waste irks me to no end…”

Kagome glanced over at him, then back to her feet. “I used to be the same. When I was eleven, I screamed at my dad because he got me the wrong hair clips right before a performance.”

“Well, you’re not that way anymore.”

“No, life has a way of doing that.”

Koga cocked his head in a cute way. “What do you mean?”

“Well, my dad died when I was thirteen. My mom tried her best to keep up our lifestyles, but...it wasn’t possible. My dad was a famous surgeon and without his income, we had to move. Cannon Beach is small and there’s less stuff, but I don’t mind it...you see people’s true colors when you’re in a crisis.” She shrugged. 

He patted her shoulder, his large, warm hand smoothing over her sweater. “Shit, I’m so sorry, Kagome...if you ever need to vent, I’m here for you.” 

“I appreciate it. But enough about me...what about you? I know that you’re captain of the track team.”

“Oh, yeah…” he laughed and cupped a hand around his neck. “It’s my passion. I love running. And it looks like with a few more wins and training, I’ll be able to compete in the Olympic Trials!”

“Wow, Koga! That’s so amazing!” she exclaimed and bopped him on the arm. It was like punching a wall. “I’ll be rooting for you! I can’t wait to see you compete on TV!”

A small blush tinted his cheeks, his bright blue eyes warming with affection. “Well, I’m not quite there yet, but I appreciate your confidence in me. I’ll dedicate my next race to you!”

“Th-thanks…” she murmured, then hoping her enthusiasm didn’t give him the wrong idea. She pushed the conversation elsewhere. “I heard you have two little brothers, right?”

“Yeah. Ginta and Hakkaku. They’re twins, finishing up middle school and next year they’ll be freshmen. They share one brain cell, but I love them.” He shrugged, a proud smile claiming his features. “If they ever found their focus, they could shape up to be incredible athletes, too…”

“I’m sure they look up to you, and you’re a good role model. I know how younger brothers can be, and once they start taking their future seriously, I’m sure they’ll want to follow in your footsteps.” She grinned up at him.

“You’re right. Thanks, Kagome.” Gently, he tugged at her braid. 

“Good morning, Kagome,” said Miroku, clad in knitted navy sweater and jeans. “Morning, Koga.”

 _Oh, we’re at school!_ She didn’t even realize, but smiled and said, “Hi, Miroku.”

“What up, Miroku? Still haven’t changed your mind about track, huh? I could still squeeze you in,” said Koga with a smirk. 

Miroku waved off his suggestion. “On the contrary, I’m beginning to learn how to play my drums. I need to practice if I don’t want to make sandwiches for the rest of my life, right?”

“How’s your mom taking it?”

“We put insulation in the garage so I don’t bother her.”

Suddenly, the bell rang, jostling the throng of teens outside with a wave of panic. 

Koga waved. “Well, I’m gonna head to first period. I’ll see you two at lunch!”

They quickly waved and then Kagome locked her bike to the rack. When she hustled inside the building and to her locker, Inuyasha was already gone. She assumed he made it to first period before her, which was a little strange, but decided not to dwell on it. 

“Hi Kagome,” said Sango once the other girl entered the classroom. 

“Hi.” She settled into her seat and twisted around. “Good morning, Inuyasha.”

He didn’t say anything, but merely stared out the window. Almost every day _he_ greeted _her_ , yet today he decided to ignore her? Kagome then realized… _oh, great._

Totosai burst through the door, effectively scaring sixteen kids in one swoop. He hustled in, carrying four packages, which he distributed to three other kids in the class, then put the last one on Inuyasha’s desk. 

Their teacher went to the head of the classroom and said, “Each of these packages has an item inside, which is what you will base your project on. There are four groups, which each of you decided on your members. Now you will work together and, in a few weeks, give a presentation explaining what each object does. They are from different cultures and different time periods in modern history. Your presentation will need to include what the item does and the part it played from its time period.”

Silently, Inuyasha unwrapped the paper to reveal a string instrument with a teardrop-shaped body and short neck.

“A lute…?” he wondered. “But this thing is ancient…”

Miroku leaned against the back of his chair and said, “We can mention that, but the project is for modern history. It probably had a revival at some point.”

“Well, that’ll be up to you guys,” he muttered and shoved it into Miroku’s arms. “I’ve decided to do a project on my own.”

The three snapped their attention to him, but it was Sango who asked, “What?! Why? We have been planning on this since the start of the year!”

“Feh. I don’t need to explain myself to you.” Inuyasha glared out the window again while crossing his arms. 

“ _I_ know why,” stated Kagome, sensing her stomach twist, even as she kept a straight face. “You saw me walking to school with Koga this morning, and now you’re throwing a fit.”

It was Inuyasha’s turn to be shocked. “Hey, screw you! I’m not throwing a _fit!_ You hang out with whoever the fuck you wanna hang out with, and I’ll do the same!”

“Are you serious?” asked Sango and gestured at him. “You’re going to refuse to work with us because you got _jealous_ of Koga?”

The boy curled up further into himself. “Like I said, I don’t need to explain myself.”

“Inuyasha,” stated Miroku, cool as ever, “are you _sure_ you want to do this? Do you want to work by yourself when we _want_ you to work with us?”

The two boys exchanged a look, and Inuyasha didn’t respond as his shoulder sunk. 

When Totosai walked up to them and asked what was going on, Miroku offered their teacher a pleasant smile and said, “Nothing. Just debating on when the lute was originally made.”

“You can make a note about it, but the project is about modern history. And if you don’t mind, the rest of the class is tryin’ to concentrate, so keep it down!” With that, he hobbled to his desk once more, grumbling about noisy teenagers under his breath. 

Inuyasha remained silent for the rest of the period, and through their second class as well. Kagome tried to put her frustrations in a drawer for the time being, unsure of how she wanted to deal with the boy’s insecurities. For the past month, Inuyasha had been so patient and even started talking more. Why did one morning with Koga ruin that? Couldn’t she have a friendship with him without someone else having a problem with it? 

By the time that third period arrived, Kagome was sulking as Sango tried to talk to her during English. 

Miroku, however, wasn’t about to let Inuyasha get away with that stunt. Third period, gym class, he changed and found the long-haired boy staring off into nothingness as the teacher divided the class into pairs. 

“Miroku, who is your partner?” asked their teacher, a tall woman with soft temperament. 

“Inuyasha.”

The other boy huffed and said, “In your dreams—”

“You and I,” snapped Miroku as he walked up to him, his cold stare sending a shiver down Inuyasha’s spine, “are going to have a chat.”

Inuyasha swallowed at this, having never seen the other with such a serious look to him. Miroku dragged him over to the medicine balls and shoved a twenty-pound sphere into his friend’s hands. Together, they found a quiet corner to begin their workout. For ten minutes, the short-haired boy was quiet, but his glare never waivered, and every second passing made Inuyasha more nervous. 

At last, he couldn’t take the silent treatment anymore. “Well, are you gonna yell at me for hurting Kagome’s feelings?”

Miroku stopped for a second, his stare deepening into a chilling glower that made Inuyasha nearly fear for his life. Then he stated, “So you knew what you were doing, huh?”

“What can I say? I’m an asshole.”

Miroku chucked the ball at the other. “Going with a cop-out, are you?”

“What do you _want_ me to say? She obviously likes the dude, even though he hates rich people and berates you every day for quitting the track team.” Inuyasha flung the ball back at him. “And for whatever reason, you and Sango like him, too. Since you guys are so chummy with each other, then you should spend more time with _him_.”

With a grunt, Miroku caught the immense ball and then stopped. _I get it now._ His heart softened as he began to understand Inuyasha’s feelings. 

“Inuyasha…” Miroku started again, his voice calming to its soothing tone again. “Whenever we spend time with Koga, we’re not excluding you.”

A flash of hurt reflected on his face, but he quickly recovered. “You don’t have to explain yourself. Just do whatever you want.”

The short-haired teen took a minute to ponder his next words as he continued to exercise with Inuyasha. Then he said, “I want to explain something to you, alright?”

The other stared at him, confused. “What?”

“I know you like Kagome a lot, and it’s understandable. Without even trying, she can make people feel good about themselves and open up in a way that doesn’t make you feel weird.” When Inuyasha didn’t answer, Miroku carefully continued, “I know Koga makes you nervous. The thing is, you don’t need to be.”

After a second’s pause, the other boy muttered, “I’m not... _good_ at talking like he is.”

“You just need a little confidence in yourself. Kagome’s not an idiot, she won’t swoon because he can articulate his words better than you.” Miroku caught his eye and smiled. “Koga will take the space you give him. We invite you to spend lunch with us every day, yet you sit by yourself. We expected you to be part of our project, but you tried to push us out. The only thing stopping you from scoring points with Kagome are your insecurities.”

“As I said, I’m not good at talking like he is. Did you see the way she _smiled_ at him this morning?” he muttered, chucking the ball high from frustration. 

Miroku caught it easily enough. “And what good does closing yourself off from her do? Do you want Kagome to talk to you out of pity?” 

That question made him blush. “N-no!”

“Inuyasha, you can hold yourself to whatever standard you want, all it takes is a few moments of courage. The more you practice, the easier it gets.” Miroku hooked the ball under his arm, then used his other hand to grab the top of Inuyasha’s head. “Plus, you already have an advantage.”

“I do?” asked the boy stupidly.

“Kagome likes you, too, and you both play music. Take a leap of faith and sit with us at lunch today.” 

Inuyasha sensed his heart swell in his chest. He never understood why Miroku looked out for him the way he did, but it was growing harder to resist their friendship. Despite his lingering uncertainties, at least now he didn’t feel like he got shoved into a wood chipper. “Fine…”

“And, as an apology, you’re buying each of us a candy bar.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever…”

XXX

Inuyasha drew in a deep breath as he stood at the mouth of the cafeteria. Kagome and Sango were already there and both girls looked annoyed, which didn’t bode well. What if they started chewing him out the second he sat down? He didn’t think an apology and a candy bar would help that…Inuyasha took a step back, wondering if the whole situation was worth it.

“Oh no, you don’t.” Behind him, Miroku pushed Inuyasha’s back and thrust him towards their table. “A few moments of courage and it’ll be done, remember?”

Kagome and Sango turned to look at the spectacle as Miroku shoved the other boy towards them until they were both sitting down. Inuyasha’s heart sped up as he settled next to Kagome, with Sango and Miroku across from him. The girls stared at him, until Inuyasha recalled his mission and yanked out chocolate for them. 

“Huh?” wondered Kagome, confused how he knew that her favorite was Reese’s. 

“For earlier,” he said while avoiding eye contact. “I’m sorry.”

As she opened her Mounds, Sango muttered, “You’re lucky I like you.”

Kagome glanced at Miroku, who was also opening his own candy bar. He must’ve talked to Inuyasha. She glimpsed up at him and wondered, “Then you’re still going to be in our group project for history, right?”

The way she looked, her large brown eyes almost pleading, made him nearly melt on the spot. He couldn’t hope to refuse her when she used the full force of her charm. Clearing his throat, he sensed his cheeks burn while he murmured, “If you still want me to.”

She took a tress of his thick hair and gently pulled it. “Of course I do, stupid!” Then she opened the wrapper and gave him one of the chocolate disks. “And don’t forget it.”

“Well, well…” started a deeper voice behind the two. “Look at what the cat dragged in.”

Before anyone could utter a word, Miroku said, “Koga...if you’re going to eat with us, I’d like to remind you that Sango’s fist is a lot faster than your mouth.”

Despite the threat, Koga had no issue plopping down on Kagome’s left side. “I’m not here to start anything, I’m just shocked he’s crawled from out of his corner.”

Sango started, “Koga—”

“Kagome smells so nice that it blocks out your heinous stench,” Inuyasha threw back and lifted his chin. “So you can thank her.”

 _Was that supposed to be a compliment?_ wondered Kagome. 

“What?! I don’t have a stench! If anyone smells, it’s you!” 

“I’m not the athlete here, you are! Do you even take your crusty-ass clothes home to wash?”

Sango and Miroku watched Kagome’s patience turn paper-thin as the two boys argued around her. Their voices went straight into her ear like two dogs barking. Filling her lungs with a sharp breath, Kagome snatched both of their jaws with either hand. 

“If you two don’t stop shouting in my ears…” She looked at Inuyasha, then turned to Koga. “ _I_ will leave and neither of you will be invited. Okay?”

“Yesh.”

“Okay, Kagome.” 

She let them go, then looked to Sango. “So anyway…”

Sango and Miroku exchanged a look of wonder at how abruptly the two boys fell quiet when Kagome put her foot down. The pair then smiled and returned to their conversation. 

“We’re gonna have to get together at each other’s houses for this project...who wants to go first?” asked Sango as she dug into her salad. 

Miroku said, “Weekdays are better for me. We also wanted to get together to do a jam session, right? Kagome is finally caught up on her school work.”

“I’ve really wanted to hear you play, Kagome,” said Koga with a big smile, looking genuinely excited. “I looked up a couple of videos of your performances!”

“What?!” she exclaimed and blushed. “Where?”

His grin pulled wider. “On your last school’s website. They have a NewTube channel and your performance is one of the most-watched.”

“Really…? I never even looked at it.” She blinked and started munching on her sandwich. After she swallowed, she nudged Inuyasha. “And I still need to hear you play.”

Miroku poked at him, too. “You were going to show me some tricks on the drums as well. I remembered you promised me.”

“Yeah, yeah. I was waiting until Kagome got caught up, otherwise she’d be distracted the whole time.” He waved his hand in the air, like batting away their worries. 

Kagome’s eyes widened. “You can play drums, too?”

“Well, sure.”

“Do you play anything else?”

Inuyasha pondered for a moment as he pulled out a large thermos. “Yeah. The guitar and drums, which you know.” He raised his hand and began to label each finger with an instrument. “And the piano. And violin, too. Ukulele. Cello. Bass guitar and those big bass string instruments. Banjo. Flute. Saxophone. Clarinet. And a little of the accordion, but that was a long time ago because my dad thought it would be funny.”

Kagome pushed Inuyasha’s shoulder so he faced her fully and she put a finger to his chin. “You’re a _prodigy_ , aren’t you?!”

“Shhh!” he professed as he went pink and took her hand into his own. “You learn one, you can learn ’em all. I’m not a prodigy, don’t go around saying that shit.”

“That is not how that works…” sighed Miroku, looking defeated. 

“Sure it is. As stupid as Koga is, I’m sure he could play basketball or any other sport out there.”

Koga leaned onto his elbows. “Well I’m not stupid, but yeah, that’s basically how it is.”

Kagome shook her head. “No, it’s not…”

“No, see, it makes sense for them,” said Sango as a wide smile adorned her features. “Because all of their brainpower goes into one thing, they’re great at one particular niche and completely stupid with everything else.”

“Am not!!” proclaimed both boys at the same time. They glared at each other, then huffed, crossed their arms, and twisted away. 

Despite herself, Kagome shot Miroku and Sango a little smirk. She mouthed _thank you_ to Miroku, who merely grinned and continued munching on his candy bar. 

XXX


	5. Sick Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay in posting, I've been having internet troubles T_T and it's the cables as well as the service provider, but thankfully the family is finally fed up with our current company so we're switching to another. Anyway, thank you for the kudos and comments! Each means a lot to me ^-^ and I appreciate those who have stuck with me thus far <3

Chapter 5

Inuyasha woke up with a fog clouding his mind...and his nose, and his ears. 

With a groan, he lifted himself upright and shut off the death metal alarm emanating from his phone. His throat burned, and even after chugging the full glass of water on his bed stand, it didn’t do much to help.

_ Why do I hurt like this…? _

With diluted judgment, Inuyasha stood up and fumbled over to The Chair, where all his half-worn clothes that weren’t clean, but weren’t quite dirty waited for him. He grabbed a shirt and tugged it on, swaying as he did so, then hauled up a pair of his ripped-up jeans. A glance outside exhibited silver skies and a fierce wind rattling the enormous windows. Inuyasha grabbed a thick hoodie and stumbled out of his room. 

_ I feel like shit. _ As the teen floundered to the kitchen, a pair of intense amber eyes followed his every move. The boy thought,  _ Maybe some coffee will make me feel better. _ His stomach twisted at the idea.  _ Maybe not. _

“Inuyasha.”

The long-haired teen turned around and came face-to-face with a burly chest. When he glanced up, the giant male in front of him was blurry and for some reason...there were two of him?

“Whaddya want, Sesshomaru?” mumbled Inuyasha, his words coming out in a croak. 

“Your shirt is on backward.” 

Inuyasha glanced down to find the tag poking at his chest. “Oh…”

Sesshomaru, the six-foot-four, platinum-blonde bigger brother of Inuyasha was as enormous and intimidating as he appeared. The teen had never  _ actually _ seen the man smile, or show much of any emotion, besides mild annoyance at his little brother’s antics. For the most part, he was as cold and rigid as a statue. 

“You also dropped your sweatshirt,” stated the man, dressed in a white button-down, his long, glistening hair sweeping behind his back. 

Inuyasha stared up at him, confused. “Sweatshirt? What sweatshirt?”

Sesshomaru regarded his half brother: his flushed cheeks, exhausted expression, and loopy behavior were all explained by one thing. “You caught the flu.”

“No, the flu caught  _ you _ ,” giggled Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru remained stoic as he pressed his large palm to the teen’s burning forehead, then moved to his neck to find enlarged lymph nodes. “I’m calling the school. You’re staying home today.”

“But I gotta work on the thing…”

“You’re in no condition to go outside, especially on a day like this. I’ll be staying here with you to make sure you don’t attempt to push yourself.” He took Inuyasha’s arm to drag him back to bed. “C’mon.”

The younger stumbled after him, but only made it only a few steps before he mumbled, “I don’t feel so good…”

Sesshomaru didn’t answer, but instead pulled Inuyasha’s arm around his shoulder, then effortlessly hoisted the teen into his hold. He carried his brother back to bed, where Inuyasha tiredly kicked away his jeans and tugged his shirt off again. With a groan, he hit the pillow and turned onto his stomach as sweat began to accumulate on his forehead. 

“I will bring you some tea in a little bit. Do you have someone that can bring your homework from school?” 

Inuyasha mumbled, “Kagome…”

“Kagome who?”

“Kagome Higurashi…”

_ Is that so? _ Thought Sesshomaru before he tugged the comforter over Inuyasha’s pale back. “Get some rest.”

Sesshomaru noticed Inuyasha’s phone, which was still plugged in and sitting on the messy nightstand. He picked up a dirty glass, when the phone buzzed and lit up, showing he received a text message. The large male bent over and saw it was from the girl herself—Kagome. 

_ No, you can’t hit Koga with the lute to test its integrity for our project. It’s an instrument, not a baseball bat.  _

Sesshomaru’s eyebrows lifted with interest. 

XXX

As the classroom filled up and everyone took their seats, Kagome began to worry. She looked to Miroku and Sango, who both shrugged at where their fourth member was.

“Maybe he’s sick,” suggested Sango. 

At that remark, Kagome decided to collect extra copies of their classwork for Inuyasha. Throughout the day, she tried to text him, but only silence answered until lunchtime, when her phone buzzed. 

When Kagome pulled it out, she read out loud, “Kill me.”

Miroku and Sango looked at her with concern while Koga continued wolfing down a lunch of rice, beans, and spiced chicken. 

“Is that Inuyasha?” wondered the short-haired teen with a scowl. 

“Yeah. Sounds pretty bad…” Kagome grumbled and typed him back, saying that she gathered his homework and would bring it to him after school. “Do you guys want to go with me to his house once we’re out?”

“Sure.”

“Okay.”

Koga merely grunted, not looking the least bit interested. 

Suddenly, Kagome got a line of texts in response, begging her to wait until tomorrow. Her heart sprang into a sprint as she read his pleading responses, a second warning bell going off in her mind. Even Koga stopped eating for a moment while the three teens watching her phone get bombarded. 

“Guys…I don’t like this…” murmured Kagome with a great measure of worry. “The first time he said something about his home life...and now he doesn’t want us to come over.”

“Do you have a bad feeling, Kagome?” asked Sango.

“I don’t know...do you?”

Koga scoffed. “Dude lives in a fucking mansion, what does he have to worry about?”

Kagome twisted around to glare at Koga. “You don’t think rich people can live in abusive situations, do you?”

“W-well, I didn’t mean it like that…” he said, donning a worried expression.

“Just because someone has more money doesn’t mean their parents are perfect and isn’t an excuse to ignore pain.”

Koga quickly lifted both hands in defense. “C’mon, Kagome, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I’m sure his parents are nice people.”

“Inuyasha doesn’t have parents,” said Miroku. 

Everyone looked at him, the very air sucking out of the room in a second. Miroku knew Inuyasha the longest, and despite his fierce possession of privacy, the drummer managed to wrangle some details from his friend. 

Koga was the first to ask, “Wh…what do you mean he doesn’t have parents?”

“They died. He lives with his big brother, Sesshomaru.”

“Sesshomaru Himura…the physician?”

“Yup.”

Kagome wondered, “His big brother is a doctor?”

Sango latched a hand onto Miroku’s shoulder. “You’re telling me  _ that guy _ is Inuyasha’s brother? He could see a nuclear explosion and wouldn’t even flinch!” 

“Are you serious?!” gasped Kagome, her fears renewed. 

Koga circled an arm around her shoulders. “Relax, Kagome. I’ve met Sesshomaru before, he’s not that bad. He’s helped my family quite a bit…I had no idea he was Inuyasha’s brother. The two don’t even look that much alike.”

Miroku took a glug of water before answering, “I believe he’s a half-brother, that’s why he’s so much older than Inuyasha. I hear he was renowned in his profession before moving here…as a matter of fact, I think he regularly flies back to L.A. to perform surgeries because he’s so good.”

“I guess he and his brother have that in common,” mused Sango.

Kagome stood up. “We  _ have _ to go over there after school.”

“We could bring him some ramen,” said Miroku, looking not in the least bit concerned. “I know he likes what my mom makes.”

“Kagome, relax. Don’t get worked up before you know the facts,” said Koga as he patted her back. With his other hand, he gently held her arm and brought her back down into her seat. “Listen to your instincts. Do you  _ really _ think Inuyasha is in a bad situation?”

“Well...well, I dunno…” she started and circled an arm around her churning gut. She thought about scenarios when Inuyasha could’ve shown signs—Miroku regularly jumped on him and Sango liked to spar with him casually, and never had the teen once flinched at their antics. Perhaps she was overthinking things. 

Sango said, “I think you’re sensitive to Inuyasha’s emotions, Kagome. Sesshomaru is... _ weird _ , but he doesn’t come across as the aggressive type.”

“We’ll go to his house after school and you’ll see.” Miroku offered her a comforting smile. 

_ I hope so _ .

XXX

The wind came in torrents as the three teens approached the massive house. Unlike when Kagome had found it in the stormy dark, she was able to appreciate its full size now. The place gushed of newness, between its sleek exterior of brown, black, and white, to the large pane windows which drew in sunlight, to the massive second-floor deck. 

Miroku knocked on the large door with Sango beside him and Kagome standing behind them. She braced herself for a disheveled, older doctor with an ill-favored look on him. However, the man who answered the door shocked the girl so much that she simply gaped at him. He was tall and broad-shouldered with a curtain of silky, nearly white hair flowing around his waist and flawless skin. The man could’ve been a model. 

“You lot must be Inuyasha’s friends,” he murmured, coolly looking upon the teens. “You’re Sango Izumi, aren’t you?”

“Yessir.”

“Miroku Hayashi.”

“Yes.”

Then his sharp amber eyes found the third. “And you are Kagome Higurashi.”

The young woman snapped her mouth shut. “Um, yes…”

Sesshomaru stepped aside to allow them entry. “Take off your shoes.”

All three did as instructed, Sesshomaru’s massive silence pressing on them like a weight. Seeing him already dispersed Kagome’s initial fears—but it wasn’t because of his looks or temperament. Something about him...she wasn’t sure how to describe it, like he was so uptight...no, that wasn’t the right word, either. 

Kagome quickly forgot her pondering when she saw Inuyasha’s door and hustled past Sango and Miroku. When she entered, Inuyasha was curled up in his bed, flushed and woozy. Kagome smiled when he peered up from the many pillows surrounding his head, his wealth of black hair spread over the sheets. 

“Oh no…” he groaned, sounding as awful as he looked. “I told you not to come over...now you’ll get sick, too.”

Kagome put her backpack on the floor and settled onto the edge of his bed. “Aw, poor thing…”

Miroku and Sango joined her and the boy said, “I brought my mom’s ramen for you.”

“I don’t think I can eat it…” grumbled Inuyasha as he laid a hand above his head. “Sorry…”

Sesshomaru stepped forward and reached out his hand. “I’ll put it in the fridge, he might get hungry later.”

Kagome skimmed her hand through Inuyasha’s bangs and pushed them back as he softly groaned again. She tried to ignore his exposed chest while gently running her fingers through his soft hair. “Well, at least you’ll have only missed one day. Tomorrow’s Saturday.”

Inuyasha’s eyelids fluttered closed. “I wanted to play music with you guys, though…I was gonna show Miroku…”

“Don’t push yourself, Inuyasha,” said Miroku with a grin. “Better that you’re in a good mindset than try to force something. Plus I don’t want you to puke on my new drum set.”

Inuyasha only moaned again.

Sango looked to Miroku. “Do you want to help him with a shower? It would probably help a lot.”

“That’s a good idea.” Miroku glanced at his friend. “What do you say, Inuyasha?”

The boy opened his eyes and, despite a scowl, he nodded and slowly began to push himself upright. Kagome and Sango helped, practically carrying the teen to his private bathroom, which, thankfully, was only a few steps from his bed. Miroku turned on the hot water as the two girls tried to avoid staring at Inuyasha’s half-naked form. Despite herself, Kagome caught a few glimpses of lean muscle, especially his back...he had more physical power than she initially thought. 

Once the steam rolled from the bathroom, Sango and Kagome left and shut the door. 

That’s when Sesshomaru, standing in the doorway, asked, “Would you two like a drink?”

“Sure.”

The two girls followed him out to the kitchen, where he poured them each a cup of green tea. When Kagome tried a sip, she was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. With the two boys busy and Sango there as emotional support, Kagome decided to dip her toes in the water. 

“So, Sesshomaru... you’re his dad?” she asked. 

The man drank his own cup, but shot her a peculiar look. “Do I look like his dad?”

She offered him a cheery smile as Sango began to sweat with nervousness. “It’s never polite to assume.”

“Of course,” he mused and took a sip of his drink. “No, I’m his older brother.”

“Really? What do you do for work?”

“I’m a general surgeon, but I also specialize in neurological treatments.”

“That’s quite a title. You must’ve studied for some time to build up a reputation.” Kagome gestured to him while crossing her legs. “My dad was a surgeon himself before he died. Orthopedics.”

“Daisuke Higurashi, correct?”

“That’s right!” she exclaimed with a smile. “How did you know?”

“I wrote a paper about his research in grad school. His work was a breakthrough for pain management for patients, which I still use today.” Sesshomaru’s intense stare found hers, and he maintained eye contact. “Including your friend’s parents. How is your father’s wrist doing, Sango?”

“Fine…” she mumbled and glanced away. It was like watching a cat try to take on a large dog.  _ What are you  _ doing _ , Kagome? _

Kagome’s smile never wavered, and she never looked away. “You know, you have such beautiful blonde hair, Sesshomaru. I’m curious why Inuyasha’s hair is black.”

“Genetics, I’m afraid. Inuyasha and I only share our father.”

“Oh, I see, that makes sense. Your father...was he a surgeon, too?”

“Yes. Toga Himura.” 

Kagome gasped again, her eyes widening with genuine surprise. “The heart surgeon?!”

“That’s right.” 

At that point, Kagome cut off her interview about his past. She didn’t want to step on Inuyasha’s toes, and certainly not through Sesshomaru’s bland explanations. Instead, she veered the conversation elsewhere. 

“That’s very impressive. I’m sure you’ll live up to his reputation,” she said while smoothing out her sweater. Sango seemed to physically relax as she drank the rest of her tea and Kagome continued, “But I’m sure you know my mom, she’s a nurse.”

“I assumed. I’ve met her in passing.” Sesshomaru crossed his arms while leaning against the marble kitchen counter. “Are you to follow in your father’s footsteps?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I had planned to get a scholarship to a music academy, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

At this, Sesshomaru’s interest piqued. “And what instrument do you play?”

“Violin.”

“Inuyasha knows how to play as well, though he doesn’t practice as much as he should.”

Kagome cocked her head. “But he says he plays music whenever he doesn’t have chores or homework.”

“With that guitar, yes,” he answered, his expression never wavering. 

_ “That” guitar? _ thought Kagome, momentarily confused until realization dawned and her face turned deadpan. So, Sesshomaru was a music snob, was he? Many of her parents’ friends were the same way, applauding her ability with the violin and then scoffing whenever she said she could also play the electric guitar. She asked, “What’s wrong with the guitar?”

“Limited application.”

“Dwayne Allman and Prince would disagree with you,” murmured Kagome as she laced her fingers together. Beside her, Sango started sweating again. 

“Who?” he asked. 

Kagome inwardly sighed, but then smiled at him. “We’re doing a project in history with the lute. As I’m sure you’re aware, the guitar is one of the world’s oldest instruments. You could watch our presentation and it might give you a new appreciation for it. Both the violin and guitar are incredible instruments and help bring passion and wonder into music.” With a magazine-worthy smile, she tilted her head again and raised her shoulders. “A little encouragement can go a long way.”

Sesshomaru’s granite-like expression didn’t shift. “Don’t misunderstand me; I would never stop Inuyasha from playing music. Merely the decibel at which he plays.”

“Is he that loud, even with foam soundproofing?”

The two stared at each other for a long, hard minute as Sango glanced between them. 

To cut the thick silence, the kickboxer patted Kagome’s back and said, “That’s a great suggestion! I know Miroku ordered his acoustic paneling off the internet. I think a twelve-pack was twenty bucks.”

Kagome glanced at her friend, then to Sesshomaru, who still said nothing.  _ Did the guy not think of soundproofing? I guess he and Inuyasha are similar in ways… _

Then, Miroku opened the door to Inuyasha’s room. “Kagome, Sango.”

“Is he feeling better?” asked Kagome as she stood up from the kitchen stool. Recalling her manners, she turned to the blonde. “Thank you for the tea and talk, Sesshomaru.”

“Thank you, Dr. Himura.”

“You’re welcome.”

The two young women went to see his younger brother and, once out of sight, Sesshomaru pulled out his cell phone and searched for soundproofing.  _ Why didn’t I think of that? _ It would’ve saved him from some stiff conversations with Inuyasha in the past. Not that it mattered now, but the elder was relieved to know there was a solution from future arguments. Additionally, one of their guest bedrooms was merely gathering dust, so he could turn it into a room for Inuyasha and his love of distortion. 

_ Kagome Higurashi, hm? _ he thought and found his instincts pleasantly calm.  _ She’s undoubtedly another caliber than the last one you knew, Inuyasha. _

In his little brother’s room, Kagome sank onto his mattress again while holding a hairbrush. Inuyasha laid on his stomach as she gathered the heavy tresses of his black hair into her hold, relishing the silky texture. Kagome smoothed the brush through the dense mane, a surge of butterflies floating in her stomach as he peered over his shoulder to look at her. 

Despite the stuffy head, muscle soreness, and intense chills, Inuyasha never felt more relaxed. As Kagome brushed his hair and gently tugged at his scalp, soft tingles traveled down his spine, lulling him towards sleep again. He didn’t usually like people touching his hair, but Kagome did it just right, not pulling too hard or yanking at knots. It felt so nice…

Kagome separated Inuyasha’s hair into three parts, then weaved them together to make a thick braid and tied it with a green scrunchie. His locks glistened from wetness, reflecting silver from the cloudy atmosphere outside his window. She then pulled the comforter up to his shoulders and bent over to push a hug against his back. 

“We’ll see at school, Inuyasha,” she said and sat upright again. “Feel better.”

“Thanks for coming over...” he mumbled, groggy all over again. 

The three teens bid their goodbyes to Inuyasha, then to Sesshomaru. Once outside, they walked with their bikes further down the path until the house was out of sight. 

Miroku turned to Kagome. “See? He’s not so bad.”

“Huh?” asked the young woman, confused, and then smiled. “Oh, right. Yeah! He’s not bad. Sorry that I got all worked up for nothing.”

Sango groaned from behind the two. “Except you got  _ me _ worked up while you were talking to him! Do you know how much green tea I drank while you were grilling Sesshomaru?”

“You  _ grilled _ Inuyasha’s big brother?” asked Miroku, flabbergasted. “What happened to being afraid of him?”

Kagome blushed as her pace quicked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! We had a perfectly pleasant conversation.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t start asking about his family tree or if he had a criminal record!” exclaimed Sango and playfully tugged at Kagome’s ponytail. “It was more like an interview than a conversation! In my head, I was just like,  _ Kagome, what the fuck are you doing? _ ”

Kagome glanced over her shoulder. “I...I wasn’t  _ that _ bad, was I?”

“You invited Sesshomaru to watch our history presentation because you got mad that he dissed the guitar!” She tossed a hand into the air. 

Miroku nearly dropped his bike. “You  _ what?! _ ”

Kagome scoffed, lifted her chin, and continued walking. “It’s not like he’s going to  _ do _ it. And if by some miracle he does, then he can have a front-row seat so I can teach him a thing or two.”

“Remind me never to get on your bad side, Kagome…” murmured Miroku, but the girl was already several paces ahead of them. Then he turned to Sango and, with a low voice, wondered, “Was it because he said something about Inuyasha?”

“Of course it was,” whispered Sango in return. “The only thing she  _ didn’t _ do was outright call him a jerk.”

“Imagine if Kagome and Inuyasha start dating…” 

For a moment, the pair stopped walking and both imagined how Kagome’s instinct to protect would kick in whenever someone even looked at Inuyasha the wrong way. The boy himself was already beginning to follow her around like a puppy, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. If the two started to develop feelings for each other, then…

Kagome shouted from across the intersection, “Are you guys okay?!”

“Yup.”

“Yeah!” 

As they caught up with her, Sango murmured, “Good thing we’re their friends.”

“I second that.”

XXX


	6. Garage Band

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyooo sorry for the late update, I had this chapter written out and decided I didn't like it, so I had to change a few things, and then it snowed...I snow plow, which turns me into a zombie after work. After this chapter, there will be smooth uploads. Thank you for reading, for the kudos, and for the comments! <3 I hope you enjoy this next installment!

Chapter 6

_ “Do you promise?” _

“Fuck...why did I agree to do this?” grumbled Inuyasha, prepped and primed for school, yet standing frozen in his room. 

_ “We’ll do it after school on Friday. Don’t forget!” _

Pack on his back, headphones around his neck, and hood tugged over his hair, Inuyasha started to sweat from nervousness. His hand clenched the case's strap, but for some reason, he stood paralyzed in front of his guitar. An abrupt swell of anger rose in his chest like a plume of hot air and he tossed the soft case from his grip. 

“Why the fuck am I so  _ nervous?! _ She’s just a dumb girl!” he yelled to the empty room. “Why the fuck do I even  _ care?! _ ”

As Inuyasha clenched his fists, the memory of Kagome’s plea resurfaced in his mind. At the end of school yesterday, she hit him with a soft voice and big doe eyes and finally asked if they could play together. How was he supposed to refuse when her lost-kitten face turned him into a bumbling idiot?

“ _ I’m all caught up on schoolwork, and you said we could? Please?” _

Kagome ruthlessly used her charm on him, knowing he would cave to her demands. Well, it wasn’t like she  _ demanded _ , but...she didn’t realize he hadn’t played with others for  _ years _ . There was a reason he avoided social situations like that; the minute he started sharing his music with others, his relationships seemed only to draw trouble and hurt those around him. It happened to his father, to his mother, and...to  _ her _ . Kikyo.

Tension unwound in Inuyasha’s shoulders and fists. Even though he was sixteen now, his time spent with his first best friend—his first  _ girlfriend _ seemed like yesterday. It didn’t help that Kagome held so much resemblance to her, especially with her looks. The first time he saw Kagome, his heart crawled in his throat because he thought she was Kikyo. But that couldn’t be right, because…

Since he first met Kagome, a month had passed, and Inuyasha realized she was similar to Kikyo only in physical appearance. Where Kikyo was cool-tempered, elegant, and witty, Kagome was direct, bubbly, and charming. Now that he thought about it, they probably wouldn’t get along if the two crossed paths. Another thing they shared was a bit of a temper…

As he dwelled on it, Inuyasha realized he was afraid of living the same experiences with Kagome that he endured with Kikyo. Most were so happy that they were painful to remember, even on a good day. The times he shared with Kikyo were something he cherished so much that the idea of forming new memories while playing music nearly...they nearly scared him. Because if they were just as blindingly good, that each session was better than the last, and they all drew closer...what would happen when fate would tear them apart?

Miroku and Sango were both decent people as well, and with the three of them (despite Koga’s insistence on hanging around), he felt better than he had in years. What if all came crashing down again?

Suddenly, Inuyasha’s pocket vibrated and he tugged it out to see Miroku asking where he was—then nearly had a heart attack when he looked at the time. 

“ _ Fuck! _ ” he cried and snatched the guitar case again. He rapidly stuffed his guitar inside it, zipped it up, and hauled it over his shoulder. “Gonna be late, gonna be late,  _ gonna be late! _ ”

After racing down the stairs and hopping onto his bike, he pedaled like the devil was on his tail. He zipped through town, doing a few stunts which were probably less than safe, until he hit the main crossroads of Cannon Beach. 

Inuyasha quickly looked both ways and found the street empty, pushing the pedals harder as the seconds counted down to first period. As he passed the threshold, a yellow Geo screeched onto the road and nearly drove right through the stop sign. 

“Hey,  _ fuckface! _ ” Inuyasha barked. 

The car slammed on the breaks just in time before hitting the teen as he flew through the intersection. 

“Next time, pay attention you dumb fucks!” he yelled and flipped them a bird. 

“Eat it, you little shithead!” snapped back one of the guys and returned Inuyasha’s rude gesture with his own. 

_ Dicks _ . Inuyasha quickly put the exchange in the back of his mind as he focused on the last stretch to get to school. He could see a few stragglers entering the building and screeched to a stop, creating a long black line from his tire on the concrete sidewalk. Shoving his bike in the pile, he dashed inside and went straight to class, sweating and panting. He yanked open the door just as the bell rang, dragged himself to his usual seat, and then plopped down. 

“Wow, Inuyasha, are you okay?” asked Miroku. 

“I’m...I’m…” he gasped, suddenly feeling dizzy. 

“Here,” said Kagome and passed him her water bottle. 

Sango offered him a teasing smile. “One more reason to sign up for kickboxing classes! Longer stamina!”

Inuyasha didn’t answer, but gratefully took Kagome’s water as his head pounded from a wild heartbeat. After hydrating and getting a chance to catch his breath, Inuyasha tugged off his guitar and backpack as everyone started on their projects. 

Once Kagome knew Inuyasha could answer, she donned an excited smile and latched onto his hoodie sleeve. “You remembered! We’re going to have so much fun!” 

“Yeah, sure,” he murmured and grabbed the lute. He couldn’t bear to look her in the eye, so his fingers mindlessly trailed over the strings until he was playing Greensleeves. 

Inuyasha noticed Miroku staring at him from the corner of his eye, but the long-haired teen opted to ignore it. For some reason, many people were staring at him lately, especially when he was with Kagome. He didn’t get it, but whatever. 

The music filled the classroom like a pillow, the soothing tone quieting the teens as they spared glances at him between focusing on their work. The tune floated above them, swirling and filling the voids of silence until it drifted from the cracked door of the classroom. It seeped into the empty hallway like a tendril of smoke and found the single teen dwelling there. 

Koga turned from his locker, picking up on the sound as he pulled out his English book. Since he completed the final early with a passing grade, he didn’t need to keep it there any longer. However, his interest piqued at the sound, knowing Kagome’s first period was around this part of the school. After shutting his locker, he wandered towards the source.

Koga took a quick peek into the class and noticed it was Inuyasha playing.  _ Because _ , _ of course. _ The guy wasn’t lying when he said he could play the lute—the difference was he could do it well. Most of the time, people blew hot air out their butts when boasting, but the kid played like a professional.

Koga found it frustrating. Either Inuyasha was incredibly lucky, or just born with all the talent in the world. No matter what he did, Inuyasha reaped the benefits, as if fate itself said,  _ “Don’t even bother, there will always be someone to step on your neck.” _

A shriveled feeling reached inside Koga’s chest, and then he noticed Kagome’s slender fingers brush through Inuyasha’s hair. It was a small, yet intimate gesture that made his stomach squeeze as he imagined her doing the same thing to him. Koga’s scalp even tingled at the thought, and he continued to watch as Kagome weaved a thin braid while Inuyasha pretended he didn’t notice. 

Koga’s attention then flicked to behind the pair, where he saw a black guitar case.  _ That must be the mutt’s. _ So he had the stones to bring it today, huh? Koga had to admit that he was curious about Inuyasha’s ability—plus, if he was playing, that meant Kagome might, too. Double plus? He didn’t have practice today. Maybe he was luckier than he thought.

The rest of Koga’s day was filled with anticipation. At lunch, he asked Kagome if he could watch their jam session and she agreed, even though Inuyasha pouted about it. 

“Gettin’ cold feet, huh?” asked Koga with a smirk. 

Inuyasha glowered at the boy. “Shut up! I’m not getting anything!”

“Sure, sure. You’re all mopey about something you supposedly are  _ so good at  _ and  _ love to do so much _ ,” he chuckled and then patted Kagome’s shoulder. “I guess that means we get to hear more of Kagome’s beautiful playing instead, which is fine with me.”

“Ko-ga…” she started and frowned at him. 

“Well, either he’s gonna play or he won’t,” said Koga while waving his hand through the air. 

A burning coil twisted in the long-haired boy’s gut. Inuyasha's inner turmoil of living in the moment fought with his past, which he wanted  _ without  _ hurting his friends in the process. He wanted to play, but playing meant facing those memories, and while his heart begged for him to ignore it all and find a nice hole to crawl into…he now realized he didn’t want to. 

“I’ll show you!” shouted Inuyasha while throwing the remaining part of his sandwich at the runner’s face. “Olympian or not, I’m gonna make you eat your words!”

Embarrassed, Koga snapped back, “Not if I kill you first!”

“You two are going to be the death of me! Knock it off!” cried Kagome as the entire lunchroom watched the spectacle. 

Sango and Miroku exchanged a wary glance, then sighed and helped Kagome calm the other two down. 

By the time school finished, Inuyasha felt fired up and ready to beat Koga over the head with his guitar. It was hard enough that people kept sending curious glances his way, but the runner kept bringing attention to it, too. 

Eventually, even Sango grew tired of it. “Can you two grow up? No one is interested in watching your pissing contest.”

Kagome merely sighed as she passed the group, heading down the hallway to the music room. The four observed her with curiosity until she cracked the door open and pulled out a soft-shelled guitar case of her own. 

Inuyasha’s heart leaped into his throat.  _ That’s right _ ; she _ can play, too.  _ He gestured at it and wondered, “That one, it’s yours?”

An excited smile dawned on her features. “Yep! It’s not anything fancy, just a Fender, but I think it suits me!”

Koga shoved Inuyasha’s shoulder as he walked up to her. “You’re like a rockstar! I can’t wait to hear you play!”

“To hear  _ all of us _ play, right?” she asked in a low tone and slung the case around her shoulder. 

“Y-yeah, of course…”

Stepping around the runner, she hooked her arms around his and Inuyasha's elbows, dragging the two boys down the hall and outside. 

Miroku heaved a sigh as he followed after them. “Well, at least it was a nice thought.”

“Hey, don’t be disappointed yet. Kagome won’t let Inuyasha forget why we were getting together,” said Sango while gently patting his back. 

“Yes, I suppose you’re right…”

When they got to Miroku’s house—which was part of his mom’s restaurant—they went around the back alley and gathered at the garage. Miroku shoved the door up, revealing a glistening set of pearl and violet drums, which sat in the center of several amps. The boy looked a little nervous as he turned to Inuyasha, who non-gracefully shoved Koga from his path as he went to lay down his guitar and inspect the instrument. 

The other three watched the pair get sucked into their own world. With a small smile, Kagome set her pack and pulled her guitar out from its black case. Koga found a lawn chair propped inside of the garage and unfolded it before them as their single audience member. Sango stayed near Kagome, helping her move a couple of amps to the center of the garage. 

When Kagome began testing her strings, Inuyasha’s attention focused on her. He also noticed that she brought her violin, which stuck out from her overstuffed backpack, but he was more interested in the guitar. Kikyo only sang and played the violin—he assumed Kagome would be the one to bring back all of those memories and all the anxiety that came with it. 

Yet, with her there, her skinny fingers strumming across silver strings and her mint-green guitar nearly glowing in the lowlights of the garage, a different feeling washed over him. Inuyasha realized he wanted to hear her play, more than anything else in the world. 

“I’m gonna help her tune that thing real quick,” mumbled Inuyasha as he stood up and wandered over to her. 

Kagome smiled as he approached, which made his stomach twist with anticipation. Without making her pull off her guitar, Inuyasha turned the tuning keys and plucked the strings until he tweaked the instrument to perfection. Usually, Kagome needed her tiny tuner box to do the deed, but watching Inuyasha with his heightened pitch senses was fascinating.

“Told you,” giggled Kagome. “Prodigy.”

A smile flickered across Inuyasha’s lips. “Shush.”

Koga observed the pair interact and knew he was up a creek without a paddle. Nonetheless, he grumbled, “Are you guys gonna play, or what?”

Inuyasha shot him a glare. “All you might need is a pair of tennis shoes, dipshit, but this requires more finesse and technical work.”

“Ready,” said Kagome before the pair could start fighting. 

The young woman caressed metal cords, filling the dusty garage with thick harmony. Inuyasha stepped back as Kagome took over the show, the cables blossoming as she softly sang along with it. 

Koga wasn’t one for Christmas songs, but the way Kagome played made him believe in Heaven. She looked exceptionally confident and at peace while playing, as if the guitar was merely an extension of herself. His insides melted with each dip and rise, her skill pulling at his nerves that somehow excited and comforted him at the same time. 

As Kagome drew out the last, deep note, everyone took a deep breath, effortlessly calmed by the melody. 

Then the girl turned to Inuyasha. 

“Would you like to play?” she wondered, already lifting the strap from her shoulders. 

Inuyasha, surprised, took the instrument into his hands. A smirk tugged at his lips as he pushed the strap over his head and dug a pick from his pocket. The boy didn’t need a second invitation as he dove right into the song. 

Just like Kagome, the boy was perfect right out the gate—but his song was light and energetic, his fingers racing over the strings, pushing them together, and pulling them down as he weaved the music together. If only to himself, Koga would admit that the kid was great, especially for a teenager. 

“Hey! I know this song!” Kagome suddenly shouted, and started singing right away. 

_ Holy shit,  _ thought Koga, his wide blue eyes pinned to the young woman as she belted out the lyrics with such power that she didn’t even need a microphone. Her alluring smile and immense, raw voice captured his heart effortlessly.  _ Kagome’s so beautiful... _

Inuyasha abruptly leaned towards her, and Koga saw his dream shatter before his eyes. Kagome pointed at the long-haired boy and he picked up on the song where she left off...and he was just as great. Even though they were singing, it was as if they were having the most intimate conversation, the bond tightening in a way that Koga knew he could never do. 

Suddenly, the runner sensed a hand clasp his shoulder, and he glanced up to find Sango offering him a somber smile. Koga shot her a quick grin and leaned back in the chair, recomposing himself. 

In Inuyasha’s mind eye, his previous memories and fears of repeated mistakes dissolved right before him. With Kagome so close and her bold voice filling his mind, she tore apart the dread like tissue paper. He could sense the incoming devotion roll in again, the same as it did for Kikyo, desperate to belong again. There was no way for him to resist, like the call of a siren beckoning him to come back home. 

Inuyasha pulled out the last note with Kagome’s voice, then she whirled about and tossed her arms around his neck, squeezing him to her slim form. 

“That was amazing!” Kagome cried.

Sango yanked at his hoodie. “You’re incredible!”

“Yeah, I know,” said Inuyasha with a confident grin. Then he pointed the nose of the guitar at Koga. “Fuck you, asshole!”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome,” chuckled the runner while folding his arms behind his head. 

“What do you mean  _ you’re welcome?! _ ”

“If I hadn’t challenged you to play, you would’ve been sitting in the corner the whole fucking time!”

Behind them, Miroku muttered, “Don’t worry about me...in the dark corner...being ignored…”

“Okay, Miroku needs attention,” chuckled Sango.

“Oh, don’t mind me, I’ve only been waiting for two years…” he muttered and sunk behind his drums. 

“Alright, relax,” Inuyasha said as he passed the guitar back to Kagome. “You don’t think I’d seriously show up and then leave you hanging, huh?”

As Kagome continued plucking at her guitar, Inuyasha tended to Miroku, showing him beginner tricks and the best app to nurture his ability. He also tightened and tweaked the drums just right, which would allow Miroku to achieve the sound he searched for. Then Inuyasha hooked up a metal arm that would hold the drummer’s phone, providing him the means to play and learn faster. 

“Do you wanna try out a song?” asked Inuyasha. 

Miroku stared up at him with a bug-eyed look that made the other boy laugh. Then he sighed and said, “Well, I’m not that good yet.”

“So? The only one here is Koga, and who gives a fuck what he thinks.”

“Fuck off,” shot back the runner. 

Miroku’s gaze flicked to Sango and then back to his lap. 

Kagome walked up to the drum set and said, “Let’s start easy. AC/DC’s  _ Highway to Hell _ is like the perfect song to start with, and everyone knows it.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Miroku reached out to his phone and pulled up the song, thankful for the suggestion. At least he practiced that one before.

Inuyasha looked satisfied with the suggestion and went to retrieve his red and black guitar, a gift from his mother. He turned to the four-foot amp in Miroku’s garage and grabbed the input cable, tethering it to his most precious instrument. 

Inuyasha took a glance over his shoulder and found all four of them staring at him, waiting and watching. His gut twisted as memories crawled at his mind and scratched at his insides. Despite his nervousness, the boy flicked the amp on and a metallic echo filled the concrete room. Although he never expected to be in this same situation, his very soul drew relief from the familiar experience. He was back in front of people with his favorite instrument in hand, their anticipation thick with excitement. 

As they started, the residual feeling of playing with others was even stronger and more exhilarating than he anticipated. All of Inuyasha’s thoughts sank into the comforting embrace of music, the drugging satisfaction of belting out every note relaxing his mind and body. 

_ We could become something, _ he thought, a tiny spark reigniting in his chest again. He never thought he would feel that kind of hope once more. 

When they finished, Miroku leaned back while panting. “I thought this would be  _ easier _ than track.”

Sango started to clap, which prompted Koga to follow suit. She exclaimed, “That was incredible! Now I kind of want to try an instrument…”

“Y’know, Sango…” started Miroku, who nodded his eyebrows. “You could try your hand at bass…”

“A bass? The one with just four strings, right?” she wondered and the other three nodded. “Well, four strings is easier than five or six. But I only know a little bit about music, so you’ll have to be real patient with me. And...I would need to buy one…”

Inuyasha murmured, “I have a bass you can borrow until you save up money.”

“Are we making a band?” wondered Kagome while swinging her hips back and forth. 

They all looked at Inuyasha, who frowned and asked, “What’re you looking at  _ me _ for?”

“Do you want to?” asked Kagome, hitting him with that soft voice again. “It’s either all of us or nothing.”

Inuyasha aimlessly plucked at a few chords, a wash of nervousness overcoming him. The day already turned out better than he expected—the sessions he had with his previous bandmates were nothing like this. Compared to the last drummer Inuyasha played with, they were night and day, and a great deal of worry lifted from his shoulders.  _ And Sango is here now, too _ . 

“Well, we all gotta vote on a name because if we get popular and have a stupid-ass name, I’m gonna be pissed,” he grumbled. 

Koga said, “You’re gonna be pissed if you get popular?”

“A band name will follow you to the grave! The second you get popular, that’s all people will know you for!” Inuyasha shot back, exasperated. 

Miroku twirled a drumstick in his hand. “Inuyasha’s right. We need to make it something memorable and easy, but isn’t silly, either.”

“Why not just pick an adjective, like Disney does for all their movies?” asked Sango, which sent a spell of laughter over the group. The girl huffed and planted her hands on her hips. “What? I’m serious!”

Kagome nudged her elbow. “Maybe something with just a  _ little _ more thought in it.”

“What about... _ Despondent? _ ” asked Miroku.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Too emo.”

“Valley of Death.”

“Too biblical.”

“Dark Marksman.”

“Too western.”

Miroku loudly sighed as he gave the girls a beseeching look. “This is going to be harder than I thought.”

Koga stretched his legs out while quietly chuckling. “You guys are already acting like you’re married.”

Sango clapped her hands together. “Why don’t we make up some names, write them down, and look at them later. We’re going to have to put a lot of thought into this, so there’s no sense in arguing about it right now.”

“She’s right,” replied Kagome and started poking Inuyasha’s head with the guitar’s tip. “But we’ll have to settle on  _ one _ , eventually.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” he muttered and waved her off. “And we gotta decide what sound we want, and make a NewTube channel, and start writing songs, and Sango has to  _ learn _ how to play. This is gonna take a lot of work, y’know.”

Miroku murmured, “So is anything else worth doing.”

“Feh.”

Kagome shot Inuyasha a slight smirk. “That’s what our name will be, for now.”

The long-haired boy donned a curious look. “ _ Anything else worth doing? _ ”

“No.  _ Feh. _ ”

The others descended into laughter as Inuyasha’s expression went flat. “Ha, ha, ha. You guys are  _ so _ funny.”

“Well, it’s not like there’s a shortage. We’ll keep thinking and eventually come up with something.” Kagome then excitedly strummed her guitar once more. “C’mon, let’s play again!”

Despite himself, Inuyasha couldn’t help but smile as a fundamental fear in him crumbled away. With Kagome to his left and Miroku to his right, the long-haired teen sensed a tangible hope beginning to spread through him—and now that he had reclaimed it, he didn’t want to let it go.

_ But this time, I won’t make mistakes. This time, I’ll protect her. _

XXX


	7. Adulting

Chapter 7

“Hey, mom?”

Maemi turned her attention from the frying pan to see her sleepy daughter shuffle up to her. “Yes, dear?”

“My friends want to come over after school so we can work on our project. Is that okay? I’m sorry I didn’t ask sooner,” she mumbled, looking adorable in a pink sweater with pale jeans. 

“Sure, honey. You can always text me these things, too.”

“I always remember when I can’t text, like during class. Sorry.”

“It’s alright, honey; go ahead and sit down for breakfast.”

“Thanks,” sighed the teen and settled into the dining room chair. 

Maemi turned around with the pan full of fried eggs, potatoes, onions, and peppers and set it on the table. Souta dashed in and swooped into a chair, quickly taking the spatula before his mother eased into her own chair. 

“Souta, can’t you wait two seconds for mom to sit down? You act like such a gremlin sometimes.”

“At least I don’t act like a princess!”

“A princess has  _ manners _ , unlike gross little boys.”

As Maemi filled her plate, she said, “Hush you two and eat your breakfast. I don’t want either of you to be late for school. And, by the way, there is a small holiday party at the hospital on Friday…” Both kids gasped and looked at their mother with excitement. She raised a finger into the air. “And as per tradition, that means you two can pick out  _ one _ thing to get for yourselves.”

Souta exclaimed, “Can we get one big thing between the two of us?!”

“Yeah, we already figured out what we want!” said Kagome as she clasped her hands together. 

Maemi’s interest piqued at this. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“A cat!”

“A cat…?” she wondered, expecting a gaming station or something of the like. Her husband was allergic to cats in the past, in addition to a posh New York apartment that didn’t need a fluff ball with claws ripping apart their expensive furniture. As her children pleaded before her, though, her heart softened. “Alright, alright. The day after the party, as long as you two behave well, we’ll get a cat from the shelter. An  _ adult _ cat.”

“ _ YES! _ ”

“And you guys have to clean up after them, including whatever  _ presents _ our new friend brings us.”

Souta bounced in his seat and answered, “No problem, mom! You’re the best!”

“Thank you, mom! We’ll take care of him!” Kagome said and leaned over to hug her. “Love you!”

“I love you, too, dear. Now hurry and eat your breakfast.” She patted her daughter’s arm, then settled back and happily watched her children gobble down their meals. Though Maemi was once terrified about completely uprooting her life with their move, she was glad to find that her father was right—it was the right choice, and she could see that now.

Meanwhile, Kagome happily munched on her potatoes while daydreaming of their new cat. Ever since she was little, she wanted to get a cat, big and round and fuzzy. For once, Souta agreed with her and they made a pact to ask their mother the next time they had to attend an adult party.  _ I wonder if Inuyasha will be there _ . His brother, Sesshomaru, was one of the prominent doctors, so perhaps he would.  _ If he does, the party won’t be so bad, either!  _

XXX

“ _ WHAT?! _ ” 

Sesshomaru didn’t flinch at Inuyasha’s sudden outburst from the other end of the table. Rather, he repeated, “You’re going. You go every year. This year is no exception. I am not sure why this is a surprise each time.”

“But I’m sixteen!” professed the younger as he slammed his fork down and slouched against his chair. “Isn’t it time I stop following you around to those things?! It’s so fucking  _ boring! _ ” 

Inside, Sesshomaru was already sighing to himself. Outside, he maintained his composure. “Do not curse, Inuyasha. There is no changing my mind, so make peace with it now.”

“This is unbelievable.” Inuyasha tossed his hands in the air before they dropped to his sides as he glared at his brother with contempt. “You seriously do not give two shits about how I feel about  _ anything _ . It’s like talking to a fucking brick wall!”

Sesshomaru paused eating his breakfast to return his little brother’s glare and think of a way to help him understand. “I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss about one evening. If somehow you accomplish your dream to make music, you will have to attend similar parties. Your mother went to them all the time, don’t you remember?”

“Those were for  _ her! _ And she never made me go if I didn’t want to! Why would I want to hang out with a bunch of snobby doctors who drink until they’re stupid?!” he professed, his cheeks turning pink. 

“Do not act like you’re the only one in the world, Inuyasha. They’re not my favorite thing, but it’s part of being an adult. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t like for the sake of your job.” 

“Do you have  _ anything _ that’s your favorite? Far as I can tell, you don’t feel—!”

“You do  _ not _ want to finish that sentence,” stated Sesshomaru in a lower voice. “Do you really want me to ground you, too?”

Inuyasha gripped his chair, his jaw clenching, before he huffed and shot up. “Whatever, fuck this. I gotta go to school.”

The elder nearly remarked on his language again, but decided to let it go. Inuyasha stomped to his room, then to his shoes, then to his backpack. Without looking at Sesshomaru, he yanked on his jacket, then descended the stairs to the front door, which he slammed so hard that the sound echoed in the house.

A hot spear of frustration rushed through Sesshomaru’s frame. 

Then, as it always did, the sensation quickly dissipated into nothing. The blonde glanced down at his half-eaten meal and pondered his little brother’s words.  _ He’s wrong _ ; I _ feel things. _ Sesshomaru rose from his seat and took both his and Inuyasha’s dirty dishes to the sink. As he began to wash them, he mentally observed his heart and mind...and found the knot of ever-present tension in his stomach.  _ I feel things...don’t I? _

Sesshomaru opened his palm beneath the hot running water, allowing it to pool and flow over his hand. He felt the heat, felt the ground beneath his feet, felt the sudden tweak in his chest. He didn’t see the point in getting too upset at Inuyasha’s antics—he was a teenager, frustrated with his circumstances. Sesshomaru was in a similar position, whether Inuyasha knew it or not. 

The man never expected to bring home a despondent eleven-year-old after his mother, Izayoi, unexpectedly passed away, and after their father had died when Inuyasha was seven. Of all the money, houses, cars, and other belongings, Sesshomaru knew his father’s greatest treasure was Inuyasha. No matter how the teen felt towards him, he would ensure the boy’s safety and well-being. Despite everything Toga had accomplished—the good and the bad—that was his last wish.  _ Protect and care for Inuyasha. _

Sesshomaru sensed the knot in his belly unwind as he focused on that. Inuyasha might think his bigger brother hated him...but while that was an untruth, Sesshomaru’s primary focus was on his care. Everything else came afterward. 

After finishing morning chores, Sesshomaru checked his image—smoothing out his white shirt and red tie. The blonde then gathered his work essentials and headed to the car, which his father bequeathed him, a silver 1970s Dodge Challenger. He settled into the buttery leather seat, clapped the door shut, and headed out the driveway.

Despite his earlier resolution, he was still thinking of Inuyasha’s outburst. Sesshomaru reasoned with himself that once his brother was an adult, he would understand...but until then, would the teen throw a fit whenever asked to do something outside of his interests? Sesshomaru didn’t take pride in giving Inuyasha ultimatums, but what other option was there?

The elder Himura decided to put it aside once he got to work. However, even as he donned his white coat and began seeing regular appointments, he couldn’t drive the conversation out of his thoughts. The usual worry of concerned parents, elderly patients, and the occasional employee mishap couldn’t engage his mind enough, and the same knot of tension returned by lunchtime. 

When Sesshomaru arrived at the small cafeteria, all eyes focused on him. 

“Good morning, Dr. Himura.”

“Good morning.”

“Hello, doctor.”

“Hello.”

He continued to greet anyone else who spoke to him, but his mind fussed over Inuyasha. What was he going to do? Eventually, the teen would become either more dismal or aggressive as time went on if he didn’t figure out a solution. Since starting the school year, the usual cloud that followed Inuyasha seemed to have naturally dissipated some, thanks to that girl.  _ Kagome _ . Sesshomaru knew that Sango and Miroku had attempted to befriend his brother before, but was unsuccessful in the past. For whatever reason, though, when Kagome arrived, he finally opened up. 

Sesshomaru then recalled that her mother worked at the hospital. His sharp amber eyes searched the cafeteria for Maemi Higurashi and, as luck would have it, she was eating at a small table near the window. 

Sesshomaru was not one for passing up opportunities and approached her. “Nurse Higurashi?”

Maemi peered up from her phone and brightly smiled. “Doctor, good morning. How are you doing?”

“Fine. May I sit with you?”

“Um, sure!” Maemi locked her phone and pocketed it, taking keen notice of everyone looking in their direction. She supposed she couldn’t blame them—Dr. Himura was a handsome man, although too young for her scope. The nurses often gushed about his looks, then turned around to immediately criticize his temperament, which gave Maemi a bad taste in her mouth. Sesshomaru was not outgoing, but he was fair, straightforward, and thoughtful in ways most doctors only dreamed of without the drudgery of hollow promises.

The male gracefully settled into his seat, the thick curtain of near-white hair flowing behind him as his intense gaze found hers. “Forgive me for being too forward, but are you Kagome’s mother?”

“Oh, yes. How do you know my daughter?” she wondered. 

“Inuyasha is my younger brother. I met her when she and their friends came over to see him when he was ill.”

“Is that so?” she gasped and hummed to herself. “That boy is cute as a button. I see both of you were blessed with such lovely hair.”

A single white eyebrow lifted. “You have met him?”

Maemi described how Kagome got lost in town after her first day of school and it was Inuyasha who helped her get home. Then she realized the teen didn’t mention the incident to his big brother, which made her say, “You know how kids are, though. They could forget to tell you that the president stopped by.”

“I suppose…” murmured Sesshomaru, looking a tad uncertain as his gaze flicked out the window. Then he gazed at her again. “You are coming to the party this Friday, then, with her?”

“Both of them. I have a son as well, Souta, who’s going to be nine in February.” She resumed eating her salad while Sesshomaru left his untouched. Maemi went on, “I imagine you and Inuyasha will be coming as well? At least the kids can entertain each other.”

“Erm, yes…” murmured Sesshomaru, feeling awkward as he always did when parents delved into talking about their children. “Are Kagome and...Souta...looking forward to the party?”

“Well, I suppose Kagome more than Souta since Inuyasha will be there, but hopefully they’ll include him. Plus, I bribed them with a cat for good behavior, so that helps.” She giggled with that thought. 

Sesshomaru stared at her long and hard, then mumbled, “You...bribe your children?”

“Is that so surprising? Surely your parents do the same for you and Inuyasha.”

At this, he dropped his hard gaze to his lunch. “Our parents are dead. I’m raising Inuyasha alone.”

The air went frigid as outer space while Maemi attempted to reel herself from that little bomb. “O-oh. Honey, I’m so sorry...about your parents, of course. My husband passed away three years ago. Not that I’m trying to draw the conversation away from you—I’m sorry, again.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s just the way it is.”

“Yes, but I’m sure that doesn’t make it any less difficult.”

Sesshomaru found her soft gaze again, but Maemi’s look was one of understanding, unlike the usual pity he received.  _ She’s a lot like Izayoi. _

Maemi then went on, “Were you asking for advice, then? Did Inuyasha complain about having to come to the party, too?”

“He did have a minor tantrum,” grumbled Sesshomaru as he poked at his grilled chicken. “I did not consider bribing him for compliance, though.”

“ _ Compliance? _ Oh, dear,” said Maemi as she clasped her hands and cocked her head. “Have you never treated yourself after doing something difficult? Perhaps after a long surgery or writing a long article? Daisuke would often take us all out for ice cream after completing difficult surgeries.”

Sesshomaru’s pulse jumped at the thought.  _ Well, I never thought of it that way. _ He did, of course, reward himself for those particularly tough spots. Not that parties were considered tough spots, but…

Maemi then continued, “Plus, if you promise them something nice for good behavior, it’s positive reinforcement. Now my kids look forward to them and put their best foot forward, which makes it look like I know what I’m doing. Not that I give a crap about what other people think about my parenting skills, but I relish the look on people’s faces when Kagome acts like a little angel.”

Her small comment spurred one of Sesshomaru’s memories to surface. Years ago, when he was still in high school, he, Izayoi, and Toga went to one of their father’s parties celebrating his many achievements. Rather than hang onto his father’s arm, Inuyasha’s mother stuck by  _ his _ side the entire time.

_ “Isn’t he so polite and smart?”  _ She gushed when they finally left well into the night.  _ “I’ve never seen so many people fawn over a teenager before. You were absolutely wonderful, Sesshomaru.” _ He could even still remember her glowing, proud smile under the golden lamps.  _ “Let’s go get some ice cream.” _

“Yes,” murmured Sesshomaru as a small smile pulled at his lips. “I understand now. Thank you, Maemi.”

“No problem, dear, let me know if you need any more parental advice. Or bribing ideas.” 

XXX

After work and throughout the week, Inuyasha didn’t bring up the party again. Sesshomaru didn’t wish to stir the pot unnecessarily and hoped for the best by the time Friday rolled through. To his surprise, Inuyasha dressed himself and was prepared to go that evening, which bewildered his older brother, although he wouldn’t admit it. 

“So are we going to this stupid thing, or what?” asked the teen when marched from his bedroom, freshly showered and dressed in nice dark jeans, a black button-down, and a red tie. 

Sesshomaru then recalled that Kagome would attend the party and that’s why his little brother put in the effort this time, but he wasn’t about to point it out. Instead, he tugged on his black suit jacket and said, “Yes, let’s get this over with.”

The brothers clad themselves in thick dress coats and climbed into his car when Inuyasha asked, “If you hate these things so much, why do you go?”

Sesshomaru sensed he was asking honestly and he murmured, “If I go and pay attention to my coworker’s ramblings for a few hours, they’re more likely to do what I say at work.”

“Seriously? That’s it?”

“Well, I suppose a few of them are nice.” He paused briefly and considered Maemi’s words while pulling onto the road. “Listen, Inuyasha—”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll play nice,” he grumbled while staring out the window. “What’s a few hours, anyway?”

Confused, Sesshomaru fell quiet for a few minutes.  _ Why did he change his mind? _ The elder couldn’t imagine that his friends pushed him to think differently about the situation. Did Maemi mention something to him while at her house for a study session? It didn’t seem to be in the woman’s character, but he only knew her for a short time. 

“Well, I appreciate that,” said Sesshomaru as he navigated the dark, icy roads. “I was going to say that I intend to change the guest bedroom into something of a studio for you.”

It was Inuyasha’s turn to be confused. “A studio…?”

“It’s a gift for us both, since I’m putting in acoustic paneling.”

“So...this is like...incentive to behave myself?” he wondered quietly. 

“Not exactly. I intended to install it before our conversation on Monday.” As Sesshomaru pulled into the hospital’s parking lot, he murmured, “Plus, I’ll have you help me with renovating it. However, if you’re good tonight, you can pick out a small addition.”

“R...really…?” wondered the younger, his eyes widening.

Sesshomaru effortlessly backed up into his usual parking space. “With a little conversation and politeness added in...and a touch of snark, but only if necessary.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened even further.  _ Did he just make a joke? _ He quickly composed himself and grinned. “Sure thing.”

In all honesty, the elder did not expect Inuyasha to be so receptive, but found himself pleased nonetheless. Clearing his throat, he shut off the engine and said, “Very good. Let’s go, then.”

As Inuyasha climbed out of the car, he realized how strange it felt to be surprised, confused, and happy all at the same time. After complaining about having to go to a boring party to his friends, they had shown him about a million reasons why it didn’t matter that he gave Sesshomaru a few evenings out of the year. He’d felt bad about it, but never knew how to explain that to his bigger brother besides being prepared the day of. Despite the guilt that still lingered, Inuyasha now had a way to make up for it. 

_ Plus, Kagome is going to be here...this party won’t actually be bad _ . That part made him blush; surely as he was wearing a suit, she would be wearing a dress. Probably a cute one, but that girl could make a potato sack look cute. 

The moment they entered the hospital, Kagome and Souta were waiting for them. 

“Inuyasha!” exclaimed the teen as she trotted up to him. Clad in a short, bouncy black dress with long sleeves and flats, she was elegant and adorable at the same time. Inuyasha’s eyes trailed over the curve of her neck, as her hair was pulled into a neat bun. 

Beside her, young Souta was also in a button-down with pressed slacks. His mother attempted to comb out his fluffy bangs, but they were already springing back up with a will of their own. “Inuyasha!”

“Hey guys,” he said and pulled off his coat. “Lookin’ good, little man.”

He puffed out his chest. “I picked it out myself!”

“Great taste.” Inuyasha reached out his fist, and the younger answered by bumping it with his own. “Souta, this is my brother, Sesshomaru.”

Souta glimpsed up at the behemoth and immediately shrunk behind Inuyasha’s leg. “O-oh. Nice to meet you, sir.”

“And you as well.”

“Good evening, Sesshomaru,” said Kagome with a bright smile as she cocked her head to the side. “You’re looking handsome this evening; it’s so good to see you again.”

The elder Himura glimpsed at her picture-perfect smile and murmured, “Thank you, you’re very convincing.”

“Am I? Thank you.”

“What?” asked Inuyasha, puzzled. 

Sesshomaru murmured, “You could learn a thing or two from her, Inuyasha. Let’s go.”

“Seriously, though,” she said and touched his bicep. “It’s good to see you both. I was afraid I was going to have to suffer through this thing without my source of entertainment.”

Inuyasha huffed as he reached out his arm to her. “Is that all I am to you? Entertainment?”

“Well, you  _ did _ hold my books for me that one time.” Kagome wrapped her hand around his forearm without a second thought.

“So I’m your mule, too?”

When they entered the main lobby, the crowd of voices diluted their conversation. Sesshomaru watched Kagome pull his brother away—with Souta on their heels—to begin introducing themselves to a long line of hospital staff.  _ She knows what she’s doing _ . Sesshomaru found himself wishing he’d met the illustrious Daisuke Higurashi before his untimely passing.

“Dr. Himura.”

The blonde turned to find Maemi walking up to him in a maroon form-fitting dress and shawl. He murmured, “Good evening, Ms. Higurashi.”

“You’re looking stately tonight,” she said with a slight grin. “You  _ and _ Inuyasha.”

“Yes...it seems your influence worked well.”

She cocked her head. “ _ My _ influence?”

“After his initial upset, Inuyasha got over his issues with coming here tonight. Surely you spoke to him, didn’t you?” he wondered.

“Ah…” Maemi glimpsed down at her feet, then crossed her arms and said with a smile, “I didn’t mention a word to him. However, I overheard his friends offer him some advice when they came over to work on their history project.”

“Is that so?”

“Mm-hm.”

Sesshomaru’s gaze lingered on Inuyasha as the boy did his best to converse with an older doctor about the weather. Despite the awkwardness, Kagome was there to uplift the dying moments as she complimented the man on his suit. The old doctor cracked a bad joke, but all three kids laughed anyway. 

“Shall we?” asked Maemi.

The blonde extended his arm without protest and the nurse, although surprised, took the offer. She didn’t know why or how, but the woman found herself on the arm of the most attractive man in Oregon while her daughter waltzed around and enchanting everyone around her. As she took a glass of champagne, she thought,  _ Not bad. _

XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit, I enjoy writing Sesshomaru as a human. <3 Thank you for reading!


	8. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not uploading yesterday, I'm looking for a new truck! I've always wanted one, mid-sized (which is like a smaller pickup) and I think I'm going to get a new Ford Ranger. They so pretty and comfortable and the blue ones they have are just *chef's kiss* Anyways, here's chapter 8!

Chapter 8

Miroku drew in a long sigh as he set down the last box in the storehouse.  _ Not even eight in the morning _ , _ and my back is already in pain…at least it’s Friday, though. _

Tomorrow he, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango would spend the day together and hopefully play some music. It was nearly November now and, since Sango was growing more proficient with the bass, they could start playing as a unit.  _ Maybe Sango will wear those leggings I love so much. _ He nearly drooled at the thought; something about those black and gray leggings with the pink accents just made her butt—

“Miroku!” called his mother, Hina, nearly giving him a heart attack. 

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” The boy dusted off his pants and headed into his mother’s restaurant, still blushing.

He found her behind their small bar, restocking the minifridge that held cocktail garnishes and mixers. Without looking up at him, she said, “That new hire we had flaked out on me tomorrow. Can you work in the afternoon?”

“Tomorrow…?” wondered Miroku, a wave of frustration washing over him. She  _ asked _ him, but he knew it was more of a plea than a request. If he said he was already busy, then his mother would understand, but then she would be worked ragged while he went off to play.

Hina stopped her work to glimpse up at her son. “Yes, tomorrow. Why, do you have plans?”

Miroku said nothing for a moment, then smiled and said, “No. It’s fine.”

She squinted at him. “Your face says differently.”

“No, mom, it’s alright. I’ll work tomorrow.” His stomach clenched as his earlier irritation withered away. “I gotta go to school, but I’ll talk to you later!”

“Hold up, mister,” she said and placed the box to the side. Rising, she grabbed her son’s arm and dragged him into a hug. Even though he was quickly surpassing her in height, she had no issue in holding him tight. “Not before I squeeze you to death.”

“Mo-om! Stop it!” he said and wiggled in her grip. 

Hina stamped a kiss on his head, then let the boy go. “Have a good day at school, Miroku…”

The teen dashed out and waved to her, then jumped on his bike. Hina noticed his helmet sitting on the window sill near the restaurant’s entrance and, despite running after him, he was long gone. She watched him disappear around the street’s end, sighed to herself, then returned to her task. 

“That boy is a space case, just like you,” she muttered and found the picture of Miroku’s father near the POS. A man who was nearly Miroku’s carbon-copy smiled at the camera, the photo taken moments before he tripped over a rock on the trail and broke his thumb. “And worries about everyone else first, just like you…”

As Miroku raced down the road to get to school, he allowed his internal muttering to settle down.  _ There’s no helping it. _ Even if he told his mother the truth and she let him go, he would only think about it while spending time with Inuyasha and the rest. He frowned.  _ Still sucks, though. _

“Miroku!” 

The teen slid to a stop and turned to find Sango pedaling up to him on her own bike. She was adorable in a slouchy gray sweater and ripped jeans with white shoes. Adorned with a pink down jacket, she looked like a cute marshmallow. 

“Good morning Sango, you look beautiful today,” he murmured with a grin. 

Seeing her cheeks turn pink as she fumbled for a greeting made Miroku’s heart swell. He always loved to fluster Sango like that. 

“Y-you’re such a weirdo,” she said and dropped her attention to his torso. “You look nice, too.”

“Thank you.” He patted his head and realized he accidentally left his helmet at home from his earlier rush. “Although it seems I’m out of it today.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m fine,” he said and faced forward again. “Probably just the morning blues—ah, Sango!”

She had snatched his collar before he could pedal away, then drew close to his face and stated, “I’ve known you long enough to tell when you’re upset. C’mon, tell me what’s going on.”

“Honestly, it’s nothing,” he chuckled and took her hand into his own. He pressed his lips to her knuckles, making her turn red all over again. “Though your concern is heartwarming.”

A dark blob appeared from around the corner and a pair of amber eyes found the pair. Inuyasha, garbed to the teeth with scarves, a big red jacket, and a thick black hat, slowly pedaled to them. “So you two are finally going out, huh?”

With a gasp, Sango yanked her hand back and sputtered, “N-no!”

“Geez, fine. Just askin’,” he grumbled and squeaked to a stop in front of them. 

Miroku offered his friend an amused look. “Not fond of the cold, Inuyasha?”

“It’s  _ literally  _ the only thing I miss from L.A. because, watch, by lunchtime it’ll be spring, and then by the time we get outta school, it’ll be…” Inuyasha’s words faded as he squinted at Miroku, then leaned in real close to him. “Is something chewing on your asshole, dude? Why do you look depressed?”

The other boy huffed. “I don’t look depressed!”

“Good morning!” cried Kagome from down the sidewalk. She rapidly closed in on them on her bike, clad in a big sweater, a pleated skirt, and leggings with big boots. Once she stopped beside Sango, she took one look at Miroku and murmured, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Good grief, you guys, I’m fine…” 

Kagome then asked, “Did your mom ask you to work tomorrow?”

_ How did she know?! _ thought Miroku as he shot her a shocked look. “Um, yes…”

Miroku expected them to start in on him when Sango asked, “What happened to that new hire?”

“They flaked out.”

“Bummer,” murmured Inuyasha. “We’ll have time next weekend; it’s not the end of the world.”

Kagome added, “We can go and work on our project there! That way when things get slow, Miroku can help.”

Inuyasha donned a small, evil smile. “And I can have as much coffee as I want…”

Sango remarked, “Like  _ you _ need more coffee…”

Miroku glanced between his friends and found a great weight lifted from his shoulders.  _ Why did I think they would be upset? _ Perhaps he was so used to internalizing his disappointment and staying positive that he didn’t expect them to cheer  _ him _ up...but, he was glad they did. 

As Inuyasha predicted, the day warmed up as it went on, and by the time school ended, they didn’t even need sweaters. Miroku exited the school’s front doors to find Inuyasha tying down his coat and other clothes to his bike's front end with a bungee cord. He couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s bizarre solutions. 

Behind him, Sango and Kagome walked out together while chatting. The three converged on Inuyasha as he struggled to secure the bundle as he wished. 

“Do you guys wanna go get some ice cream?” asked Sango as she untethered her bike. 

A bright smile captured Inuyasha’s features. “Yeah!”

“Cool! Kagome and I are going to do some shopping, and then we can go to the pier!” 

The smile dropped like a dead fly. “ _ Shopping…? _ ”

Kagome planted her hands on her hips. “What’s wrong with shopping?”

“Look, nothing...but I don’t really feel like standin’ around while you guys gawk in the mirror for three hours,” he mumbled while mounting his bike. 

“It’s not that bad!”

Miroku swept in to save the day. “How about this, Inuyasha? The girls can go shopping, and you and I can go ride a trail for an hour.”

The three looked to their friend, and he pondered the offer for a second before murmuring, “Yeah, that sounds fine. It’s not that I don’t like shopping, I just...you know...I dunno.”

“You can’t sit still, it’s fine,” said Sango as she brushed her hair over her shoulder. “We’re going to get my car and we can pick you guys up when you’re done.”

“Cool.”

“See you in a few!”

Miroku was slightly disappointed that he couldn’t see Kagome and Sango dress up in cute outfits, but he was glad that Inuyasha accepted the alternative. That meant his friend was beginning to welcome Miroku into his life, which made him happy. He’d come a long way since blatantly ignoring Miroku when they first met—back then, the long-haired boy wouldn’t even look him in the eye.

Inuyasha glanced at his friend. “Well...you ready?”

“You bet.” 

Miroku quickly unlocked his bike and led the way out of town to the rising mountains near the coast. The dense vegetation of mossy trees, big leafy bushes, and rotting trunks closed in around them as the balmy afternoon sun soaked through the thick branches. They didn’t converse much, and Miroku focused on the trail before him while his mind busied itself with an inner monologue. 

Even though his friends graciously accepted that he had to work tomorrow, if he really wanted to live his life as a musician, he would need to start taking it far more seriously. Inuyasha was gifted, but he also practiced enough to make anyone’s head spin. If he wasn’t with them or doing homework, he was playing music. Miroku had honestly never seen such dedication to an art before. Talent really had no consequence when the guy poured so much of his time and soul into it. 

“Inuyasha…” murmured Miroku as he paused on a hill.

“Yo.”

“Was your mother a musician?”

Miroku noticed Inuyasha’s shoulders tense. “Yeah, but she was mostly a singer.”

“Do you think you’ll follow in her footsteps?”

This made the other give him a curious look. “I mean, obviously. If I didn’t have music, I would probably be a doctor like my dad, which sounds like hell...and I’m not really smart enough for it.”

“So you have no plan B?” asked Miroku. 

At this, Inuyasha smiled. “Is that Koga getting to you again? The guy’s such a fucking wet rag. He bitches about  _ me _ not having a plan B, but I don’t see  _ him _ with one. He’s riding on his hopes on the Olympics and sports scholarships when one fuck up can have him working in an office job for the rest of his life.”

“I mean...I guess I can see where he’s coming from. We have these big dreams, but sometimes no matter how hard we try or what we do, they don’t work out…” Miroku dropped his attention to the ground. “And had we not wasted all that time and energy chasing a dream, perhaps we could’ve made a better foundation for a comfortable life…”

Inuyasha leaned forward to catch his friend’s eye. “Damn dude, you act like you’re gonna die at thirty. Just because we don’t make it big doesn’t mean we can’t try stuff. My mom spent the first ten years of her career in coffee shops and side gigs. People tried to tell her  _ all the time _ that she had no talent and just give up, but she kept doing it because she  _ enjoyed _ it. Maybe you don’t hit stardom, but if  _ that’s _ what you want, there are easier ways of doing it. Like Tik Tok.”

At this, Miroku burst out laughing. “Alright, that’s true.”

“Anyway, don’t let a misstep bring you down.” Inuyasha leaned against the handlebars of his bike. “Playing music is supposed to be  _ fun _ , no matter how popular we are.”

“You’re right. Thanks, Inuyasha.”

“Meh, whatever.”

Out of Inuyasha’s peripheral, he saw Miroku smile at him and a strange tug pulled at his stomach. When the guy suggested they go for a bike ride, Inuyasha didn’t expect to have some deep conversation. For a moment, the long-haired boy contemplated being brutally honest—but since Miroku was already down, he figured it wouldn’t help. 

_ Being popular isn’t the best. _ Inuyasha knew that all too well after his mom shot up to superstardom when her first album was released twelve years ago. After growing up in a whirlwind of touring, interviews, obsessive fans, and studio sessions, the life of the rich and famous had  _ plenty _ of drawbacks. Inuyasha didn’t even have friends until he started living with Sesshomaru. 

Miroku said, “Well, let’s head back towards town. I need some ice cream.”

“Sure.”

Inuyasha took the helm this time, since Miroku was so damn fast. Quitting track slowed the guy down a little, but he was still extremely athletic and nearly left Inuyasha in the dust a couple of times. It was the first time he wondered if he should start tagging along with Sesshomaru to kickboxing classes. 

Thankfully, most of the trail was downhill, so Inuyasha spent more time focusing on corners and avoiding branches than his burning thighs and calves. As he maneuvered down the hefty slope, he called out to Miroku to make sure Sango would be there when they arrived. 

“I just texted her, and she’s on her way!” he replied, somewhere towards the east. 

“Where the fuck are you?” 

“Sorry, I...I thought you went to the right.”

Inuyasha noticed a ten-foot-tall bush rustle and a flock of birds escaped from the branches. He answered, “Can you get to the parking lot from there? It’s just down the way!” 

“Yeah, I think so!”

_ Idiot _ , mumbled Inuyasha to himself.  _ I should’ve just stayed behind him.  _

“I’ll see you at the bottom!” Inuyasha said, then started again. 

The boy managed to get down a few more switchbacks when he saw where the other trail intersected with the original one.  _ I’ll just wait for him here.  _

“Oi, Miroku!”

A spear of cold fear pierced Inuyasha’s chest as an abrupt cry filled the air. Branches snapped and the boy watched in horror as Miroku’s bike tumbled down the hill without him. 

“ _ Miroku!! _ ”

Inuyasha shoved his bike away and charged up the trail, every nerve standing on edge as cold adrenaline rushed through his body.  _ No, no, no! _ He saw Miroku’s purple windbreaker through a thick bush that had caught him. Inuyasha hoisted himself up the steep incline, grappling onto a rotting trunk, until he found his friend. 

“ _ Miroku! _ ” gasped Inuyasha as he fumbled towards the other. “Miroku! Miroku!” 

Blood soaked his hair and his eyes were closed, sending another spiral of terror through the boy’s body. Inuyasha carefully pushed his arm underneath Miroku’s shoulders. 

“Oh, God, Miroku!” A thick knot formed in his throat. “Fuck, wake up!  _ Please! _ ”

_ I gotta get him down. _ Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, Inuyasha hooked his other arm beneath Miroku’s knees and hoisted him up. Somehow he didn’t seem that heavy and, even as tears began to collect in Inuyasha’s eyes, he was able to get back to the trail.  _ God, this is all my fault. _ Inuyasha traversed down to the parking lot as fast as he could—and, thankfully, Sango and Kagome were already there. 

“ _ Sango! _ ” cried Inuyasha, his voice filled with fear. He could barely see her through his watery vision. 

The young woman bolted from the driver’s seat with Kagome close behind her. The two girls surrounded him as Sango brushed her hand through his tangled, mucky bangs. 

“Miroku,” she said, calm as a soldier. “Miroku.”

Inuyasha gasped, “He fell.” 

“Kagome, open the back door and call an ambulance. Inuyasha, try to keep him as still as possible. He probably has a concussion.”

Kagome dashed behind the car and opened the hatch, thinking quickly enough to shove down the back seats. Sango kept Miroku’s head still as Inuyasha eased him onto the hard surface, then slowly rested his head. 

Kagome phoned in for emergency services, her hands shaking while her voice remained calm as her mind retained rigid control over her emotions. “My friend Miroku fell down the mountain. He wasn’t wearing a helmet. We’re at the trailhead parking lot. He’s bleeding…” 

Beside her, Inuyasha held fast onto Miroku’s jacket, squeezing the material hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. The boy was unaware of the cuts and bruises marking his arms and face from retrieving his friend, even as he wiped away his tears. “Come on, man, wake up…”

“Miroku…” whispered Sango. Tears collected in the corner of her eyes while she pulled the leaves from his hair and brushed the dirt from his cheeks. 

Suddenly, Miroku’s eyelids fluttered as a soft groan escaped his lips. Glazed eyes tried to focus on the girl before him as Sango captured his hand and pressed it to her chest. 

“Miroku, can you hear me?” she asked softly as both she and Inuyasha leaned closer to him. 

“Sango…” he mumbled and shut his eyes again. “Inu...ya…”

“Hey, buddy…” sniffed Inuyasha as his eyes watered again. “You took a swan dive down the hill.”

Miroku groaned, a little louder this time. “Sango…”

“Yes?”

“Your boobs...feel really nice…”

The pair managed a small laugh between them and she said, “Thanks. I’m glad you like them.”

Sango and Inuyasha continued to keep him awake by talking to him, while Kagome stood on the street to watch for the ambulance. Each second dragged on into eternity as she waited, still on the phone, for the paramedics to arrive. She kept a firm grip over her emotions, even as the blocky vehicle rounded the corner and sped towards her. 

The ambulance swung into the parking lot and squeaked to a stop beside the car. Time jumped into action as the paramedics looked over their friend and decided that, while the concussion wasn’t life-threatening, they should still bring him to the hospital. 

Kagome said, “Sango, you and Inuyasha go with Miroku. I can get the bikes and drive your car there.”

She glimpsed up at her friend with a tired smile. “Thank you.”

“I’ll stay with Kagome,” murmured Inuyasha. Now his wounds were patched up, but he looked exhausted. “We’ll see you there.”

The ambulance packed up with the two teens and the medics inside it, then accelerated from the lot, leaving a heavy silence in the air. Kagome turned to Inuyasha, who looked more like he went through battle than anything else. His amber eyes were dark and his skin so pale it was nearly white. 

“C’mon,” she murmured and gestured to the woods. 

As she began to climb up the trailhead, Inuyasha stayed  _ extremely _ close to her—almost touching—at all times. While they walked, her butt was in his face, but she didn’t bring attention to it, knowing that he feared a repeat of Miroku’s incident. Instead, she focused on getting their bikes. Inuyasha’s was easy enough, but Miroku’s had fallen into a thatch of trees, which propelled Inuyasha to hold onto Kagome’s arm as they waded through the bushes. 

“Alright...just a little closer,” she grumbled and reached out for the twisted handlebar. She put her foot on a protruding root about three feet from the forest floor. A bushy fern fought back as she tried to shove it out of the way. “Damn nature.”

“Kagome…” murmured Inuyasha warily. 

“You have my arm, it’s alright.”

As she curled her fingers around the metal bar, her foot slipped from the mossy knuckle. She fell back with a yelp, but Inuyasha caught her easily enough from behind. His arms, like two iron bars, clenched around her stomach as he squeezed her tiny frame to his larger one. 

“Whew,” she sighed as the bike slid down to them. “Looks like his bike can be fixed, at least…”

Kagome waited for Inuyasha to let her go, but instead, he pushed his forehead against her shoulder. She felt him tremble as he hugged her harder while dragging in a shaky breath. Kagome slowly twisted around in his hold, then embraced his shoulders and ran her hand through his hair. They stood together for a long time and the girl didn’t utter a word. 

When he eased back, Kagome cupped his cheeks to brush the tears away. 

“I should’ve...I should’ve had him follow me,” he said with thick words. “I should’ve just...gone into town with you guys instead of just being... _ me. _ ”

“Sh-sh...you guys went for an innocent bike ride. What do people do? They go for bike rides.” She pushed her soft lips to his forehead, then cradled his head to her shoulder again. “This was a freak accident, Inuyasha. Do you understand? You did nothing wrong.”

Inuyasha sunk against her until his shivering subsided and his breathing returned to normal. Then, he gathered Kagome into his embrace, drew in a deep, calming sigh, and pushed it out again. 

When he pulled away from her, he looked better, and Kagome smiled up at him. “He’ll be alright, Inuyasha. Let’s go bring him some ice cream, okay?”

He nodded. “Okay.”

XXX


	9. Reiki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got my truck! It's beautiful and cozy and SO BLUE. I called it Violet haha But anyway, I hope you enjoy this next installment!

Chapter 9

Kagome and Inuyasha went to Miroku’s house the following day after he was released from the hospital. That he was unable to work, Kagome volunteered to help around the restaurant and Inuyasha asked to assist as well, despite the immense muscle soreness. Once the adrenaline wore off on both boys, they were left aching and—Miroku especially—could do little more than rest. 

The four kids and Hina gathered in Miroku’s room, where the boy was resting with Sango sitting in a chair at his bedside. 

“But I can help!” professed Inuyasha. 

Sesshomaru, who had tagged along to check up on Miroku, was having none of it. “Quiet, Inuyasha. You are in no condition to lug around heavy things.”

“Kagome’s arms are like twigs! We should be around the same strength right now!” 

Kagome gently tugged his hair. “Hey! I’m stronger than I look!”

“You have done more than enough,” murmured Hina and cupped Inuyasha’s cheek. “I could not bear to see another one of you in a hospital bed.”

Inuyasha’s protests turned to mutters as his will withered away. “But I can’t just sit here…”

“Well…” murmured Sango and touched her chin with a finger. “What about sweeping? Or wiping down tables?”

Hina looked to Sesshomaru. “Dr. Himura…?”

The elder brother peered at Inuyasha’s worried face before he murmured, “Fine. But if I see you attempt to lift something heavy, Inuyasha, I’ll be taking you home.”

“Really? Ok!” It took a moment for the condition to sink in before he said, “Wait...are you, like, sticking around?”

“Obviously.”

“Oh...kay…” he breathed out as his shoulders sunk. Kagome gave him an encouraging pat on the back. 

Hina said, “I have to get downstairs now, but let me know if there’s the slightest change in his condition, Sango.”

“Of course. I might read to him a little, but otherwise, he’ll be resting as he should.” At this, she set a fierce eye on Miroku, who shrunk at such a look. 

After being drugged, tested, and released from the hospital, Miroku was now ashen with an exhausted look to him. Despite this, he attempted to do  _ anything  _ to make himself feel better, which then got him into trouble. “Now, if you’re referring to me trying to go to—”

Sango snapped, “I’m referring to  _ all of it. _ Including you thinking you were going to work today. And go to the store. And clean up your room.”

Miroku heaved a sigh. “I can’t help it if I’m bored…” 

“You’re living the teenage dream. Doing  _ nothing _ .”

Hina walked over to her son and poked him in the chest. “You listen to me, mister. If I see you up and about unnecessarily, you can kiss those drums goodbye. I’m serious.”

“Alright, alright...I’ll behave…” he murmured. 

“We’ll just be downstairs,” added Kagome with a cheery smile. “When we take a break, we’ll come back up here to make you feel better.”

“Thanks…”

Hina kissed her son’s forehead before bringing the teens downstairs. Sesshomaru had already slipped away, but somehow managed to set up a laptop and a hefty amount of paperwork onto a corner table. The man could observe the entire restaurant from where he sat, and Kagome had a funny feeling that he knew Inuyasha would try to help with the restaurant today.  _ He probably wants to watch out for him. _

Hina then gave the two teens a work uniform and aprons. Once they changed, she ran down what their duties were and how they could help. 

“Now, if there is a problem customer, come get me. Don’t try to argue with them. Just tell them,  _ I need to get my boss  _ and leave it at that. You’ll come to find that reasoning with people don’t always do the trick.” She bopped Inuyasha on the nose. “Especially you. Don’t think I’ve forgotten the little stunt you pulled when Miroku was working all those months ago.”

Kagome gave him a sly glance. “Oh, really?”

“Dude was an asshole, whaddya want from me…?” he grumbled. 

“True, but stealing his meal and then running into the parking lot doesn’t really fix the issue.”

“He told me it tasted like garbage, so I said I’d feed it to the raccoons!” he professed, which made Kagome start giggling. 

She held up her hand, even as a small smirk stole her lips. “None of that today while you’re working for me. Now, you’ll be cleaning up after customers and Kagome will help with orders. The tables are organized in rows, each with a number. If you feel flustered, you can explain to them that it’s your first day and to please be patient.”

“Sounds good! I actually worked a few months at McDonald’s, so this shouldn’t be too different,” mentioned Kagome with a charming smile. 

Inuyasha cocked his head. “Seriously? Why did you work there?”

Hina said, “Well, at least you know some of what to expect. Just try to keep your cool and if you need to do things a little slower, that’s better than trying to rush.” 

“Okay! We’ll do our best!”

Twenty minutes passed before customers began trickling in—and, at first, Kagome figured it would be a breeze compared to her short stint at McDonald’s. There was nothing like working at a corner store in the shopping district during Christmas. However, as the lunch rush rolled in, she was beginning to question that thought. Checking back with people and paying attention to her surroundings was the toughest part, especially for the meeker customers who didn’t want to get her attention with a wave or shout. 

Additionally, there were two or three creeps who came in. Luckily they didn’t try anything besides the off-handed strange comment, but being forced to serve them for an hour was painful. Her only savior was Inuyasha, who would have no problem taking over a table if Kagome felt too uncomfortable. 

By the time a lull came, Kagome felt half dead. 

“How do people do this for a living…?” she groaned while slumping onto a barstool. 

Hina filled her a glass of soda and passed it to her. “If I had more employees, I would tell you. Do you want to take the rest of the day off?”

“No! I can do it!” she proclaimed. 

“If you say so, kid…” Hina looked at the boy. “How are you doing, Inuyasha?”

“Fine…” he mumbled while wiping down the last table. “Totally fine…”

“You’re cleaning that table rather aggressively…”

Sesshomaru spoke up, “Inuyasha, there will always be disgusting individuals. You protected Kagome from them with how you were able, so stop sulking.”

“I’m not sulking!” He exclaimed while tossing his hands into the air. “They should all be thrown into a fuckin’  _ pit! _ ” 

Kagome’s heart warmed with the idea that Inuyasha was protecting her—and, when he glanced her way, he immediately blushed and went back to cleaning. Without the teens noticing, Hina and Sesshomaru exchanged a look to see the pair well on their way to developing feelings. 

Then Hina peered out the window which faced the street and watched two SUVs park. A mass of well-suited businesspeople piled out of them and eyed her restaurant with mounting interest. 

“Alright, you two...let’s start pushing these middle tables together.” 

Kagome twisted in her seat and noticed the group begin to stream across the street. “Oh my God...there’s gotta be twenty of them!”

Inuyasha exclaimed, “Is there a funeral or something?!”

“I counted twenty-five. C’mon.”

The three pulled the tables together, and even Sesshomaru got up and helped them organize the tables, napkins, and cutlery. The group didn’t bother to address Hina as they came inside, but instead started filling the chairs and told Kagome their drink orders all at once. By some magic, Hina managed to hear them and told Kagome to get the customers.

_ This is going to be a long afternoon, _ thought Kagome, then noticed a final straggler. 

Putting on her brave face, she walked up to the girl and asked, “Are you with the party?”

“The party?” she wondered and glimpsed at the pack seating themselves while talking loudly. The young woman was beautiful with black feathered hair and intense green eyes. “No, actually...I’m looking for a job!” 

“A...a job?” wondered Kagome, confused. Whoever this girl was, she looked ready for a business meeting rather than looking for a job. 

Hina appeared by Kagome’s side, a drink still in hand. “What’s your name?”

“Reiki, but you can call me Rei.”

“Have you worked in the food industry before?”

“A bar at a college town,” answered Rei with total confidence. 

“Then this will be cake for you. I have a uniform for you, and once you change, start handing out these drink orders.” Hina gestured to the back of the bar. 

A shocked smile dawned on her features. “Really? Cool!” 

Kagome only fumbled for a couple of minutes before Rei swept in, clad in her uniform and primed to go, and started talking to the customers with all the charm in the world. An immense relief flooded through Kagome’s being and, at the same time, amazement as she watched the other woman handle the group like a dog herding sheep. 

While they were piling up appetizers in the kitchen, Rei told Kagome, “The way I remember it is defining physical features. Like the little troll man at the helm and mirror head next to him.”

“Oh…that’s a good idea!” giggled Kagome, surprised by her brashness. But that helped more than the other tricks she tried to use—and by the time they ordered food, Kagome had memorized each one.  _ Thank God for Rei showing up. _

From his dark corner, Sesshomaru watched the new arrival with mild interest. She was probably in her mid-twenties, with sweeping black hair and large emerald eyes that filled her pale face. Her confidence and charming personality captured everyone’s interest and he was no exception. 

When Rei dropped off another round of drinks, one remained, and she brought it to the white-haired man. 

“Whiskey sour for you, sir,” she said and grinned at him. 

Sesshomaru deliberated for a moment before taking the drink in hand. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“I will.”

The blonde watched her walk away, his gaze lingering on the sway of her hips, then his attention diverted when he saw a customer reaching for Inuyasha’s braid. As Sesshomaru stood up, Rei snatched the older man’s wrist and shoved it down hard enough that the guy took the hint. 

“Sir, did you need something?” she firmly asked while putting herself between him and the teen. 

Sesshomaru eased back down as Inuyasha, looking confused, took a few dirty glasses back to the kitchen. Rather than finishing reports and responding to emails as he should, the doctor’s gaze continued to drift back to Rei. He noticed that she watched over the kids without prompt and was graceful enough not to be obvious about it. 

When the last of the group left, full and happy, Rei turned to Kagome and lifted her hands. “High-five, babe. You did awesome for your first time!”

Kagome returned the gesture with a bashful smile. “Am I that obvious?”

“It ain’t but a thing. You were a rockstar!” She then pointed at Inuyasha. “And none of this would be possible without the quarterback!”

Inuyasha laughed, a blush quickly taking over his face. “Nah, I just…cleaned up dishes and stuff…”

She came up behind him and patted his shoulders. “ _ Just _ cleaned up dishes and stuff?! Listen to this guy; he’s a joker. Both of you killed it!”

Hina smiled at them. “Yes, all of you did good. Rei, did you want a permanent position?”

“You bet!” she exclaimed and pumped a fist in the air. 

“The dinner crew is coming in shortly, so Kagome and Inuyasha, you’re fine to go once we clean up,” she said and gestured to the joined tables. 

Inuyasha helped return the tables to their original positions while Kagome quickly swept around them. Rei brought a massive bin of cutlery to a booth and began folding napkins. 

“Rei,” started Hina softly, “did you just move here?”

“I did! I literally got off the bus right before I came here,” she laughed while rapidly twisting the fabric napkins around the utensils.

“You don’t have an apartment or anything?” wondered Hina. “You just got on a bus and landed here?”

With a beam, she nodded once. “Yep! Best decision I ever made!”

Sesshomaru, perplexed, asked her, “You dropped everything you were doing and just  _ left? _ ”

Rei glanced at him, and a smirk captured her features. “Does that make your butt itch, big guy?”

Inuyasha burst out laughing, even as annoyance chewed at his bigger brother. Sesshomaru asked, “You said you were from a college town. What degree were you studying for?”

“Whoa there, snowman, you gotta get me a couple of glasses of wine before we get that deep.” She said with a wink, which made him quietly scoff. “I will tell you that my ex-fiancé cheated on me, though, so I figured it couldn’t get any worse with a sudden move.”

“I see…” murmured Sesshomaru. 

“So yeah, it’s worked out so far,” she giggled while happily wrapping silverware. Rei quickly swung the conversation elsewhere. “So you two are brothers? Big brother, little brother?”

“Um...how could you tell?” wondered Inuyasha. 

Rei glimpsed at Sesshomaru. “Well, besides the  _ murder _ in snowman’s eyes when that guy tried to pull your braid? The shape of your face and your eyes are the same.”

“Someone tried to pull my hair…?” he wondered and flung his attention to Sesshomaru, who didn’t look ruffled in the least. “And you…?”

The elder brother stood up and began packing away his laptop and paperwork. “It’s obscene to physically grab  _ anyone _ unless in dire need. My name is Sesshomaru Himura, by the way. Not  _ snowman _ .”

“O-oh!” exclaimed Rei with an enormous smile. Her green eyes seemed to warm under the golden lamplight. “An elegant name to match an elegant man...my name is Reiki. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Without looking at her, Sesshomaru murmured, “Nice to meet you as well.”

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged a look, then introduced themselves to their new friend, as well as bid their goodbyes. Exhausted and feeling accomplished, they put away their uniforms and gave Miroku some love before heading out of the restaurant. Sesshomaru was waiting beside his car in the afternoon light, his near-white hair glistening like threads of white gold. 

“Be home by dinnertime, Inuyasha,” he said while popping open the front door. “You still need to rest, remember.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Have a good afternoon, Sesshomaru,” said Kagome with a wave. 

“You as well.”

Then, only Kagome and Inuyasha were left standing on the sidewalk. The girl sensed her heart crawl up her throat as she remembered how Inuyasha protected and watched out for her today—how he’d been so patient and supportive. She couldn’t imagine Hojo or anyone else doing the same for her. It was strange, but somehow Inuyasha had effortlessly molded into her life and now she couldn’t imagine it without him. 

“So, uh…” he started without looking at her, “Did you want to...y’know, do anything?”

She smiled up at him. “Well, we haven’t eaten yet. Do you want to go with me to the taco stand on the boardwalk?” 

“Yeah, sure. That sounds good.”

As he started to turn, Kagome took a leap of faith and said, “C-can I...um, hold onto your arm?”

At this, Inuyasha whipped back around to face her with red cheeks. “Hold onto my arm?”

“Yeah…” The girl slipped her hand around his bicep. “Like this.”

“Um...sure. Yeah, that’s okay.” Inuyasha’s blush returned full force, but he kept his cool as they began to walk towards the center of town. 

The two didn’t talk for a while, but Kagome didn’t mind—the feel of Inuyasha’s lean bicep under her hand and his cinnamon-like smell wrapped around made her feel so relaxed. Sometimes his hand brushed against her thigh, and it felt like they were actually a bonafide couple. Such a thought made her stomach pleasantly churn with nervousness and excitement. 

As they approached the seashore, Inuyasha’s heart thundered in his ears. Kagome was especially close to him, her flowery scent scrambling his brain like eggs. The last time he was with a girl, she took all the initiative...but Kagome was more passive. Or was she? At this point, Inuyasha was surprised she hadn’t tripped over his heels yet, they were walking so close together. So would she accept if he…?

“Um…” he started, his tongue like sandpaper, “Do you want to just...hold hands?”

“Sure!” she said and laced her fingers through his without a second thought. 

_ Well, she’s definitely direct _ , thought Inuyasha with a grin. Her slim hand fit inside his so perfectly that it nearly made his heart melt. With her comfortably by his side, he murmured, “So...you never told me that you worked at McDonald’s…”

“Oh, yeah…” she laughed and used her other hand to cup his bicep once more. “I’m not sure you want to go down  _ depression lane _ right now…”

“Well, I  _ am _ kinda curious. Your dad was a famous surgeon, wasn’t he? Even Sesshomaru knew him.” He leaned a little forward to catch Kagome’s eye. “Can I ask what happened?”

Kagome pondered for a minute, then said, “Let’s get tacos first. Then we can sit down and I’ll tell you.”

“Okay.”

The girl dragged him to the taco stand, which exhumed delicious aromas of spices, grilled meats, and cheese. After ordering and picking up the small trays, Inuyasha brought her to a bench overlooking the breezy shore. White caps tipped the waves as a gentle breeze brushed through their hair. 

Kagome consumed three of her chicken tacos before sighing and leaning back into the bench. “So, yeah...my dad was a famous surgeon. He made a  _ lot _ of money...enough for me, my mom, and Souta to have a luxurious life in New York. I mean, our apartment was small, but we could afford pretty much anything we wanted within reason. 

“When I was thirteen, he went on a business trip to Miami. I got home from school and my grandpa was there...my mom was on the floor, crying. He’d died while crossing the road. A drunk driver.” Kagome picked at her remaining tacos and nibbled on a bite of tortilla. “He ended up dying, too, because after hitting my dad, he then drove his car under a semi-truck. 

“My mom tried to keep up appearances for our sake, I think. We kept the apartment, the expensive stuff, my music lessons, our schooling...all of our friends just acted like we should keep marching on, too. Someone asked me when my mom was going to get remarried.” Kagome scoffed and set her tacos aside, then crossed her arms. “Last year, around this time, I was looking for some paper clips in my dad’s old office. I found threatening letters to my mom about bills...behind on the rent, the utilities, our health care…

“I think I tried to ignore it for a while, but I just couldn’t. I kept thinking of how she would cry at night. So I quit my violin lessons and got a part-time job at McDonald's, hoping it would help her. I…” Drawing in a deep breath, Kagome eased her head against Inuyasha’s shoulder, “I didn’t realize it then, but we were changed forever after he died. My mom found out that I was working there from one of her friends. I thought she was going to be mad…”

Inuyasha settled his head against hers and murmured, “Was she…?”

“No. But after she found out, she told us we were going to move. All of our friends just stood around, watching, while our lives were turned upside down. And it wasn’t like it was their job to save us, but… all of a sudden, we were put in a different category and they didn’t know how to accept it. Damaged goods and all that…” Kagome sighed, sensing tension building behind her eyes. But, as always, the tears never came. “Since then, I haven’t been able to cry, either…the day we met, I was just trying to feel  _ something  _ and let myself shed a few tears, but I couldn’t…”

“Kagome…” said Inuyasha and wrapped his hand around hers again. “I think I could feel you crying, you know, even if you didn’t. I knew you were hurting.”

“You were the first person to ask in so long…” she murmured and squeezed a little closer to him. “It helped more than you know. Thank you.”

Inuyasha sensed his stomach twist, empathizing with Kagome more than she realized. But while he wished to explain that, it didn’t seem like the right time, so he merely said, “If you ever feel like you want to just...I dunno, squeeze something, I’m here. Cry or no cry.”

Kagome twisted her head so she could peer up at him. “Thank you…you know, I’m glad that my mom decided to move. I’m glad that I met you, Inuyasha.”

“Me too,” he said, his cheeks warming again. Then he pointed to her tacos. “Are you gonna eat those?”

Kagome giggled and passed him her leftovers. “No, you go ahead.”

Inuyasha took them as the girl relished in the strange weightless sensation filling her chest. She had never recounted the situation as she just did, and for some reason, she felt so much better now. 

Suddenly, Inuyasha jolted and exclaimed, “Augh, they’re  _ spicy! _ ”

“What? They’re not spicy. They just have a few habanero peppers on them…”

“Too spicy!” he professed again, then stuck his tongue out. 

Kagome handed her remaining soda to him, which he took without a qualm. Then she settled against the bench and skimmed her fingers through his long, satin-like hair. It was the first moment she realized, watching him like this, that she knew she could spend every day with him. Her chest swelled at the thought and, like the sky beginning to brighten after a long night, she could see her heart start to fall into his hands. 

XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose it goes without saying that I'm not supportive of the Sesshomaru/Rin pairing. If you like it, that's fine, but it will not take place in this story. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I look forward to seeing you in the next one!


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